Prisons
by WinndSinger
Summary: Edward discovers that Victoria is pressing charges against him with the Volturi for killing James. See the trial, the punishment, and the results as poor Edward faces the wrath of vampire court.
1. Chapter 1

1

If you like this story, please review and I'll add more chapters to it.

Thanks a lot !!!

"Carlisle!", Edward was calling very loudly all around the house, holding a folded letter in his hand, "Carlisle!"

"What's up, bro?", Emmett peeked his head out of his room, "Dad's at work, I think."

"Dammit.", he snapped the letter on his leg, reading it again to himself.

"What's wrong?", Emmett smirked, coming closer, "America's next top models bothering you again?"

Edward looked so flustered that he didn't even have it in him to give a decent comeback.

He found himself asking Emmett, "What does this mean?"

"Let me help you read the big words, little brother.", Emmett snatched the letter and read it out loud.

"The order of Volturi has taken the case of Victoria Spears vs. Edward Cullen into advisement and has approved said case be tried on November 21, 2008 at 11pm Central standard time at the address below. Each party may be allowed one speaker in

his or her defense. Any sentence given is final and irreversible.", Emmet read, then said to Edward, "Oooh, you sound like you're in trouble."

"Victoria, James' girlfriend.", Edward pointed to her name, looking confused.

"Oh Dude.", Emmett looked sorry for Edward, "She reported you for killing James."

"Reported me?", Edward shrugged, "What could that do?"

"You killed another vampire, that's against the laws of the Volturi, you know that.", Emmett stated.

"It was self defense, he damn near killed Bella.", Edward said.

"She's human.", Emmett pointed out, "They won't care about her. We're allowed to feed off humans. To them, she's like a pizza. They only care about vampire deaths."

"I'll call Carlisle to come home now." Emmett grabbed his cell phone, "This is an emergency."

"Where's Bella?", Carlisle looked around the dining room table as the Cullens were about to start having a very serious family meeting.

Edward looked strange, then said, "I didn't tell her about this. I don't want to do this to her until I'm sure I need to."

"Edward, this is very serious.", Carlisle looked at his son like he'd lost his mind, "You can't leave her out of this."

With a silent swallow, Edward looked away, not answering.

"Edward?", Esme wore super worried eyes, her hand almost shaking, "Listen, it's going to be alright."

"How…", Edward clenched his fists, "How am I supposed to tell her this?"

Esme couldn't contain herself, she hurried over, putting her arms around her first vampire son, stroking his hair as he closed his eyes, holding her tender hand in his.

"They can't do this to us! To him!", Esme nearly cried, still clutching onto Edward. She was shouting this to Carlisle, wanting him to fix this now, "Edward is a good boy! I won't let them hurt him!"

"This sucks." Emmett growled, hating to even think about it. He knew a lot about what the vampire laws were, he didn't think Edward knew many of the different penalties involved, but there were some twisted things they could do to punish their kind.

"Yes it does." Carlisle agreed, "But we can get through this as a family, this is one of those times when we have to lean on each other and stay strong. Alice, call Bella and tell her to come over please. Don't say anything about why."

"No, I'll go get her.", Edward began to stand but Carlisle stopped him.

"No, Edward." Carlisle said gently, "There are some things I need to say before she gets here."

Alice left the room and began dialing her cell phone as Edward watched, sitting back down in his chair.

"I know you like to sugarcoat things for Bella." Carlisle began softly, "And most of the time, that's fine. But this isn't something you should hide from her. She should be told the whole truth. It's kinder that way."

"You want me to tell her that if I'm found guilty, I could be destroyed?", Edward almost yelled back, "Or some other horrible thing they choose for me. She won't take it well, she'll go insane for the next week until the trial. And she can't even go to the trial! How much more crap can I pile onto her shoulders? It's a miracle she's still with me now, after the whole James thing."

"I know, Edward." Carlisle's eyes were filled with pain, "But she's stronger than you think. We will all be there for you, no matter what happens."

"No.", Edward looked up at them all, "This is my trial. Bella is my girlfriend. I won't have you all go with me and say you were a part of it too. They'll kill us all."

"Edward…" Esme started to cry, still standing close by, "Don't say that. If something happens to you, our family is destroyed anyway."

"Carlisle, will you be my speaker at the trial?" Edward decided on this.

"You don't even have to ask that, son." Carlisle replied, "Of course. I will do everything in my power to make this go away. Alright?"

"Alright." Edward agreed, "I trust you. But if we lose, we lose. It's no one's fault, so I don't want you blaming yourself if it goes bad. I want you to make sure Bella is taken care of."

"Of course, Edward." Carlisle said without hesitation, "She's family."

"Bella will be here in a few." Alice came back in, sitting down in her chair again.

"What did you say?" Edward asked.

"I just said we're having an important family meeting and we'd like her to attend." Alice informed.

Edward didn't mind that, it was good, and true also.

"Okay." He said quickly.

"Emmett" Carlisle pointed at him, completely serious, "I don't want any screwed up jokes during this whole ordeal. Got it?"

"Dad, come on," Emmett sounded angry, "I would never joke about this. Edward is my brother."

Edward gave him a weak smile, thanking him for that sentiment.

"Don't worry Edward." Rosalie said the words but still looked very angry, "If they hurt you, I'll go destroy the whole place with a blowtorch."

With a chuckle, Edward said, "Thank you Rosalie. I know that comes from the heart."

---------------------------------------------

When Bella rang the bell Edward leapt up to get the door, ahead of Emmett and Carlisle.

"Hello Bella." Edward smiled as he opened the door, instantly kissing her cold little lips and nose, his arms around her winter coat.

"What's going on?" she smiled back, smoothing the back of his hair with her mittens.

"An important meeting." Emmett grabbed Edward's shirt, yanking him away from Bella, "You are getting more and more like me every day." He said to Edward, "Can you ever NOT touch her?"

"No." he admitted, laughing a little as she walked with them towards the dining room.

Emmett whispered something harshly into Edward's ear as Bella tried to eavesdrop but they spoke too fast for her to keep up.

"I know!" Edward snapped back at his brother, pushing Bella's chair in for her at the table, sitting beside her, taking a deep breath.

"Okay.", Carlisle took a breath also, "Now that Bella is here we can start over from the beginning. Thank you for coming, Bella."

"No problem." She answered, getting a super big smile from Edward as he kept watching her, not Carlisle.

"Edward received a letter today from the order of the Volturi." Carlisle said flat out, making Bella's face deflate in an instant.

"It's from the law department." Carlisle went on, watching her face, "It seems Victoria has pressed charges against Edward for killing James."

"What?" she cried out right away, trembling and looking at Carlisle, then Edward, "She can't do that! He tried to kill me, it's a simple case of self defense!"

"Don't get upset, Bella.", Edward whispered, taking her hand in his, but she wasn't listening.

"The laws for humans are different than vampire law." Carlisle pointed out, "In vampire law, it's acceptable to kill humans, it's their way of life. But killing another vampire, is a very big offense."

"Carlisle.", Edward warned him to be careful, he was upsetting Bella. But it was too late.

"What do you mean, Edward could go to jail?!" she was shaking and shouting, little tears brimming around the corners of her eyes as Edward tried to soothe her in vein.

"Bella, please calm down…" Edward tried to say softly between her shouts.

"No I want to know!" she stood up, looking at Carlisle.

"Stop upsetting her Carlisle!" Edward raised his voice, frowning at his father.

"Edward please!" Carlisle shot him a look of surprise, "She's talking to me, I have to answer her."

"Carlisle!" Bella wanted answers and now.

"There is no jail for vampires." Carlisle informed, "There are…other ways we are punished for our crimes."

"What ways?!" she was crying now, but still angry and loud.

"Don't Carlisle!" Edward warned, standing up, pointing at his father.

"Shut up Edward, I want to know!" she stood her ground, readying herself.

"There is starvation, mutilation," Carlisle named only the big ones, leaving out the biggest. Death.

"Mutilation?!" Bella screamed, her raging eyes filled with tears as Edward tried to hold her shoulders and turn her towards himself.

"Bella, listen to me." Edward made her look up into his eyes, "Nothing is going to happen to me, I promise you. This is just Victoria trying to hurt us again. Once they hear the truth, they'll let me go. I'll come right home to you."

"I'm going with you." She said flatly, letting a tear fall down her cheek.

"No, Bella." Edward said tenderly, "You can't come."

"The hell I can't!" she raged again, "No one is taking you away from me again, Edward! No one!"

"Shhhh." Edward held her close, feeling her heart going crazy and her breathing getting all uneven and too fast, "Shhh, calm down, sweetheart. Nothing is going to happen to me. Everything is going to be alright. Breathe. Relax. Breathe out."

"Edward, how can you promise her that crap?" Emmett asked, taking away any chance at peace now. Edward's eyes widened and spun to him suddenly.

"Emmett!!" Edward and Esme screamed at the same time.

"I'm just saying!!", Emmett yelled, "He doesn't know that everything is going to be alright! I know a little about this stuff! It could end real badly."

"Oh thank you so much Emmett for sharing." Edward put his hands on his hips, glaring at his brother.

"No!" Bella screamed, shoving Edward away as he tried to hold her again, "Why are you lying to me ?! What are they going to do to you?!"

"Bella, look at me!" Edward almost shouted, putting his hands on both sides of her head, "Do you trust me?"

"Yes." She breathed, trembling as those golden sparkling eyes worked their magic on her again.

"Do you believe me?" he asked further, not letting go of her.

"Yes." She whimpered, "But—"

"Uh-", he cut her off, not letting her say anything else, "Will you stop crying and calm down?"

She tried but instead she let out a huge sob, so afraid of losing him again.

"Bella," Edward said more gently, "I need you now. I need you to be strong for me. Okay?"

At this, she clutched up all her strength and took a breath, blinking the tears away. Edward smiled at her proudly, placing a soft kiss on her quivering lips.

"That's my girl." Edward kissed her quickly again, helping her back to sit on the chair behind her.

"Edward, you could get killed there." Emmett said with true concern, destroying the small calm Edward had just built inside of Bella.

"KILLED?!", Bella screamed, leaping up to her feet again, "They could KILL you ?!"

Edward spun to Emmett, rage flaming in his eyes.

"I so am looking forward to kicking your ass later." Edward growled.

"What time is good for you?" Emmett grinned.

"12:30 available?" Edward asked, as if making an appointment.

"I can squeeze you in then, yes." Emmett agreed.

"Done." Edward closed the deal.

"Emmett, you're not helping here." Carlisle cut in now.

"You're the one who said be truthful!" Emmett reminded with a high pitched voice.

"Bella." Carlisle came closer to her, touching her shoulder as she sat back down, "This court of law is very different. Their punishments are harsh, at times, cruel. But I promise you I'll do everything in my power to make sure Edward is not harmed."

"Please let me go with you." She said in a deep cracked voice.

"I'm sorry, Bella." Carlisle's eyes became more sad, "You would not be safe or welcome there. This meeting is taking place about 2 hours away, not in Italy. In matters of criminal justice, they tend to come close to the vampire's dwelling place, in case they try to run. Believe me, I've been considering us all doing that. But we would be caught. And we'd all die."

"I will not run." Edward stated, "I didn't do anything wrong and I'm not ashamed of what I did. I will face this, head on. I'll tell them what happened."

"But what if they hurt you or kill you and I won't even get to be there or say goodbye to you?", she cried, more afraid now.

"Baby don't." Edward looked like he wanted to cry from seeing what this was doing to her. He stroked her hair and kissed her head, "Please Bella, don't cry."

"Give her some time, Edward." Esme came closer, stroking Bella's hair lovingly, "I know how she feels. I'm scared too."

Everyone review – and I'll post Edward saying goodbye to Bella and then next the trial ! It'll be great and a cool twist of what Edward's punishment will be!

I want to see if I can get about 30 reviews on this chapter.

Thanks

Love, WindSinger


	2. Chapter 2

2

The last week had been pure hell for all of them, but mostly for Edward and Bella.

Bella was, in short, losing her mind these last few days. Edward, in addition to worrying about the upcoming trial and case, was more consumed in taking care of Bella than himself. She cried all the time, she was hysterical most of the time, she couldn't sleep because of the nightmares, she refused to eat much, she kept begging him to run away with her and not to go to the trial. It was quickly destroying her. Edward was afraid what would happen to her if he couldn't come home afterwards.

Every time Edward went anywhere without her, she would go crazy, thinking he'd left to go to the trial early without saying goodbye to her first. By the time the night of the trial did come, both of them were exhausted, as were the rest of the Cullen family.

Carlisle had been up all night for the last week, doing research to save Edward. In addition to that, he still worked the night shift in the hospital too. Emmett was surprisingly supportive towards Edward and Bella this last week and Alice was of course, always there to be counted upon. She tried to take Bella's mind off the trial, but, nothing seemed to work.

"I wasn't sure what to wear to this." Edward muttered as Bella sat there in a chair in the living room, staring into space, looking comatose. He wore a white sweater and black jeans, what he was most comfortable in. He'd rather die than wear a suit there. He hoped Carlisle wasn't wearing one.

"I guess it doesn't really matter." Edward looked at himself in the mirror, frowning and sitting on the sofa next to Bella's chair.

The whole family was here, sitting in silence, staring at Edward. Only Carlisle was absent, in his office, still working on the case until the last moment.

The clock was ticking. It was the only thing Edward could hear. He was afraid to listen to anyone's thoughts right now. But, in moments, he was listening to them anyway.

_**Edward looks so scared**_, Esme thought sadly, _**This isn't fair that he should have to go through this. What if he never comes back? I won't be able to handle that. I can't lose another son. Please, God, don't do this to me again.**_

__Edward pulled out of her mind fast, not bearing to listen to the others after this.

It was 8:58pm. The court was 2 hours away. They'd have to go soon. This was going to be the worst night of his life. Bella would not let him go easily.

Carlisle came rushing into the room, carrying three books in his arm. He was wearing a gray suit. Armani. Edward frowned.

"Edward" Carlisle called, "We should start going in a minute. What are you wearing?"

"Clothes." He responded, standing up.

"Ugh…" Carlisle groaned, muttering, "Jeans to a courtroom."

But the moment Edward stood up and took one step away from Bella, that was it.

"NO!" she screeched, lunging at him, clinging onto him with both arms, crying, "You can't GO! I won't let you go without me!!"

"Bella," Edward tried to relax her but the last week had taken its toll. She was out of control.

Alice and Emmett tried to comfort her from behind, speaking their assurances and gently trying to remove her grip from Edward without hurting her but she wouldn't hear of it.

"Edward" Carlisle began but a knock sounded on the front door.

Carlisle went to get it. Two large men were there, pale white and beautiful looking, even more muscular than Emmett, wearing normal human type clothes.

"Can I help you?" Carlisle asked politely.

"We are here to escort Edward Cullen to court." One of the men said professionally.

"Oh" Carlisle said, "I didn't realize you would come to get him."

"We know he's here, we've been watching him." The other man said, "Is he ready, he and his speaker?"

"Yes, we are ready. One moment." Carlisle turned and went into the living room, seeing a scene of total chaos.

"Bella, you're not even listening to me." Edward looked frustrated and torn to pieces. He was trying to reassure her, but she was sobbing so loud and shrieking too wildly to hear anything at all.

"I will be home soon." Edward said, sighing as she gripped his sweater, screaming into his chest, not letting go.

"Edward, we have to go." Carlisle said into his ear, "Two delegates of the court are here to escort us there."

"Carlisle, look at her." Edward was lost, "How can I leave her this way?"

"Edward, you have to." Carlisle informed, "She will not improve if you stay, you will only prolong it. I'm sorry but you just have to make yourself go."

"I'll take care of her, Edward." Emmett made eye contact with his brother and looked as if he truly meant it, "I swear, Edward, you can trust me."

"I do." Edward looked like he wanted to cry. There was no other way to do this.

"I love you Bella." He said, his voice cracking a bit, kissing her lips as she screamed his name, "I'll come back to you. I swear to God I will."

"Take her Emmett." Edward said softly.

"NOOOOO EDWARRRRDDDD DONNNNN'TTTTT!!!" she howled as Emmett gently took hold of her, moving her to the left a bit until her fingers lost Edward's sweater and let Edward slip out of her reach.

"Come on, Bella, don't cry, it's okay.", Emmett said in a hurt low voice.

"I'm sorry, Bella." Edward backed away from the image of Bella half way on her knees, Emmett cradling her securely but softly in his strong arms, whispering to her that it would be alright, and that Edward would come back soon. He wished he could be sure of that.

"Good luck, Edward.", Emmett made eye contact with his brother, "Come back soon."

"I will, thanks Emmett." Edward tried to give him a smile as he went, feeling Esme's arms curling around from behind him, kissing his cheek and trying not to cry as she took a good long look at his face.

"You're my son, Edward." Esme let a red tear fall from her eyes, wiping it away instantly, "I love you. I'll always love you."

"I love you, too, Mom." He said back, his throat dry with emotion, kissing her cheek softly.

Alice was there and threw herself into Edward's arms. "Love you bro." she wept as she kissed his lips three times in a row, "Give them hell, make them let you come home."

"Okay Alice." Edward grinned, "Love you girl."

"Love you too Eddie." She tried to sound light but he knew her heart was hurting, as his was. What if this was the last time he'd see them all? He wanted to be sick.

"EDWARD DON'T LEAVE ME!!", Bella screamed with fury, "You said you loved ME!! YOU SAID FOREVER EDWARD! IF YOU LOVE ME YOU'LL STAY WITH ME !!!! DON'T YOU GO WITHOUT ME, EDWARD !! NOOOOOOOOO!!! LET ME GO !!!"

"Bella" Edward almost ran back to her and held her again until she stopped this, but Carlisle grabbed his son's arm.

"Edward" Carlisle looked almost as wounded as Edward, "Don't. We just have to leave, now. Don't make it harder on her than it is."

Carlisle and Edward hurried out of the house and into Carlisle's car. The two Volturi guards followed in their own vehicle. Edward watched the house as they pulled away, he could still hear Bella's screams as they left.

"EDWARD !!!", she sobbed over and over, just saying his name, "Edward, Edward!!!"

"Bella…don't cry." Edward whispered, watching the house fade off into the blackness as they drove him to his trial for murder.

**Hey, that's what I would do if Edward was mine and about to go on trial for his life. LOL!! Please review, everyone, and I will post the trial next ! **

**I would love to see a good amount of reviews . Come on, it's fun to review!**

**Love you guys**

**WinndSinger**


	3. Chapter 3

3

The Trial

"Bring me your murderer." The judge said, playing with his cane as the door opened, two vampire guards escorted Edward inside, wearing no cuffs and putting up no resistance.

"Young.", the judge's long black hair nearly glowed in the light as he observed the boy standing before the table, staring back at him.

"Edward Cullen." The judge smiled, "I've heard the charges against you. Now let me hear your side."

"I was defending Bella Swann.", Edward began, firmly convinced he would find justice and win his freedom, "James hunted her and was killing her when I got there. I HAD to kill him."

"This Bella Swann", he looked around him, "I will hear her testimony, where is she?"

Edward looked nervously at Carlisle.

Carlisle spoke up here, "Bella Swann is human. She is not allowed here in this court."

"Human?", the judge frowned, looking at Edward in slight distaste now.

"Yes.", he admitted, reading the judge's thoughts, finding disgust and anger already.

"You destroyed a stronger member of your race, decreased our number, and risked exposing us for…a human?" the judge's voice was cold now.

"I love her!", he almost shouted, feeling Carlisle's hand on his shoulder, silently warning him to calm himself.

Victoria and a few others present laughed at the naïve vampire in their midst. Edward only returned angry eyes back at them.

"Never raise your voice to a judge of the court, boy." The judge warned without emotion, "It might be the last mistake you ever make."

Carlisle gave Edward a little shove on the arm. Edward's jaw flexed slightly as he looked down and said, "I'm sorry…your honor. I meant no disrespect."

"She is a pet of yours?" the judge tried to understand.

Edward's eyes went hard, squinting, looking up into the judge's black-red eyes, about to say something harsh. Carlisle leapt in, trying to save Edward from himself.

"Your honor.", Carlisle cut off whatever harsh words Edward might respond with, "The fault is mine. I have taken Edward in as my own son, and taught him a different type of lifestyle. I have taught all my children to live among humans and not to harm them. They are very human in emotion because of my teachings. Bella is very special to Edward. He loves her and protected her life. I was with him at the time, I helped him kill James. I take full responsibility for him and what he did."

"No Carlisle!", Edward shouted, grabbing his father's arm, shoving him back, saying to the judge, "I killed James alone. Carlisle got there after it was done. Whatever happens, it is me alone who will pay for it."

"Let me get this right." The judge rubbed his forehead, "Edward killed James for hunting and almost killing a human?"

"Yes." Edward answered honestly.

"Hello, Mr. Cullen?" the judge mocked, "Humans are our food! That happens everyday! It's like killing a human for eating a hamburger."

A frightened look glinted slightly in Edward's eyes for a second. He was not going to be walking away from this. He could read the judge's mind. The judge was already trying to choose his fate, decided.

"Just because this particular human is your pet doesn't excuse what you've done." The judge sounded a bit sorry to condemn a young vampire like this. But the law is the law.

Victoria smiled brightly at Edward's stare. She took a picture of Edward's face close up, hearing Laurent chuckle beside her. She was truly enjoying this.

"The usual sentence for this is 10 years in a coffin, bound with silver…starvation. When the 10 years are up, you'd be nothing but bones and leather. It drives most vampires insane."

Edward's eyes dropped to the table top, his mind filled with Bella. For a moment, he pictured it, locked in a box too small to move in, dying of thirst, screaming and clawing at the coffin an inch from his nose as his body slowly decomposed. And all the while, Bella and his family would have to live on everyday, knowing he was suffering every moment. It would destroy them all, as well as himself. What would happen to Bella?

He heard Carlisle behind him, trying to stop this again.

"Your honor, please.", Carlisle begged, "He knew no better, he believed he was doing good. He's only a boy, please ! It's my fault. I beg you, please don't harm my son for my mistakes. I will take Edward's place."

"Shut up, Carlisle." Edward was getting angry at his father now, "This is my sentence."

"Silence." The judge sighed, not liking this any more than Carlisle did.

"Perhaps your maker is right, Mr. Cullen." The judge said in a low voice, "He has taught you incorrectly. You don't live as a vampire should. You need to be schooled in the proper ways."

"It's not wrong." Edward defended Carlisle, "I like living the way I do. It's –"

"It's human.", the judge finished, "You value your human pet more than you do your own kind. You admire them too much. You regard them as equal to yourself. You need re-education."

"Your records show that you've never been a maker, is that right?" the judge asked curiously.

"Yes." Edward answered, squinting his eyes a bit.

"Well, I'm feeling very creative and generous today." The judge looked at Edward, "How long was James with you, Victoria Spears?"

"Twenty years, your honor." She answered with no emotion.

"You deprived Ms. Spears of her mate" the judge began, looking into Edward's nervous eyes, "So, you shall take his place."

"What?!" Edward looked at Victoria, his eyes like knives.

"Edward Cullen, you are hereby sentenced to 20 years as pupil to Victoria Spears. You will do every single thing she tells you to, you will learn the ways of the vampire. You will learn to make newborn vampires and you will feed from humans from now on."

"WAIT!" Edward shouted, slamming his hands to the table, leaning towards the judge, "I'll take the coffin for the 10 years instead. Give me that sentence. I'll go willingly."

"Edward, NO!", Carlisle tried to pull his son back, but Edward shoved him away.

"Please, your honor?", Edward made eye contact with him again.

"I've given my decision, boy." The judge wrote in his log book, ignoring Edward, "I'm giving you the lighter sentence. Be grateful. Ms. Spears is a beautiful vampire, it's not such a cruel punishment. Guards you will give Edward over to Victoria now please. He belongs to her now. Thank you."

"I won't go!", he shouted back at the judge, "I'd rather DIE than go with her."

"Don't be difficult, Mr. Cullen.", the judge warned, "If you give Victoria Spears any trouble, if you refuse to take your sentence like a man and a vampire, then you still owe her a life. Give her your pet."

"Bella?", Edward asked, his face turned to pure hate.

"Do you own any other pets?" the judge asked.

"She's not a pet." Edward tried to explain, but instead sighed, "I don't own anyone. There's just me."

"Then you will go with her and stop making a fuss." The judge dismissed Edward, waving a hand, finished with this case, "If you run, my men will retrieve your human pet and give her to Victoria in your place. So I suggest you do your time well and give no trouble."

Edward swallowed, looking at Victoria's pleased face. In defeat, he said, "I won't run."

"Wonderful." The judge looked bored, "Have a nice day, learn all you can, and goodbye Edward Cullen. Dismissed."

And just like that, Edward's life was over, at least in his mind at the time. 20 years…Bella, he cried in his brain, Oh God Bella, I'm sorry. He could picture Carlisle coming back to his house, telling Bella this news. His whole body ached inside. The coffin was looking better and better to him.

"Edward.", Carlisle tried to embrace his son but the guards began to cuff Edward's wrists behind him, silver cuffs coated with venom, impossible for Edward to break out of.

"Carlisle." Edward looked afraid, "Please take care of Bella. And tell her I'm so sorry. Tell her I love her, I'll always love her."

"I will.", Carlisle reached through the guards and managed to touch Edward's face lovingly, looking as scared as his son, "I'm sorry, Edward, I'm sorry."

Edward wanted to tell him it wasn't Carlisle's fault, and that he was glad they lived the way they did. It was much better than the life he had when he'd left the house and fed off humans for so long. He wanted to tell him how much he appreciated being chosen by him and for letting him be his son, and for giving him such a large and loving family.

But he didn't get a chance to tell him all those things. The guards yanked him up and shoved him out another door, away from Carlisle. The door closed and he was now in an empty room. Victoria entered in a minute later to collect her property.

"So, this is mine?" she came closer to Edward, seeing his hands were still cuffed behind his back. She laughed, amused at the rage in the young boy's eyes.

"I am not yours!" Edward shouted, not moving as she walked around behind him, getting a closer look.

"Let me see you." She smiled more, touching his back with her long fingernails, feeling him over his clothes as he growled low in his chest, warning her.

"MMM" she sounded pleased, laying her chest on his back as her hands touched his covered pecks and down to his abs, Edward's eyes clenching closed as the guards held him still.

"You are very chiseled and strong to the touch, I'll give you that." she stated, moving her hands down his legs, "Very nice to look at, too. But so young, so inexperienced. So stupid. You're no James – yet.."

"THANK GOD for that!" Edward roared, wanting her hands off his body now.

"But I will teach you, Edward." Victoria grabbed his hair in the back of his head and yanked his head back to her lips as she whispered into his ear, "I will teach you…everything. Blood…the hunt…power….sex. You'll learn to like me. You will love me."

"You know I hate you.", he snarled with cruelty, "If I could vomit now, I would. Just let me do the coffin thing, I'll suffer more that way. Let me do that."

"No." she cooed, deciding, "I think James would like this more. I get to punish you now for the next 20 years. This is perfect."

See next chapter

Leave a review and let me know if you like Edward's punishment.

Love

WinndSinger

PS A couple of the judge's lines are borrowed loosely from a trueblood episode. The rest is all my wicked creation.


	4. Chapter 4

4 - Not My Home

"Make yourself at home, Edward Cullen.", she teased, smirking as he forced his legs to step inside, crossing his arms and steeling his eyes with ice hatred as she closed the door behind him.

"You are going to be a barrel of laughs for these next 20 years, aren't you, love?", she shook her mane of red curls, licking her lips and walking towards the bathroom. She needed a nice cold bath.

"I am not your love.", Edward sneered with venom, "I'm not your anything."

"Oh yes you are.", she squinted, moving a little closer to him, her eyes holding his in their lethal grip, "You are my little pet! A cheap replacement, a weak imitation. That's all you'll ever be."

"Well if I'm so weak, then why'd you do this?", Edward almost shouted, "You don't want me any more than I want you! Why'd you fight so hard to take me away from my life?"

She smiled, amused by his anger. "Because I can. And because I want you to pay for what you did to James, you and that girl. This way, you both lose…and I win. Satisfaction, at least, is mine. Along with you."

"I don't want to be here.", Edward stated again, angry but calm, "I'm not staying."

"You're not a prisoner.", Victoria smirked, "Leave. Then they will give me Bella instead. And I will have lots and lots of fun with her."

"Bitch.", he muttered, hating her, hating that he could do nothing to escape this.

She laughed, the sound making his skin crawl. "I think I'll have a nice leather collar made for you with that one word on it. It's a yummy little picture, Edward."

"What do you expect me to do here?", Edward looked around, finding nothing endearing about this place at all. No books, no art on the walls, nothing.

"Oh there is nothing for you to do here.", she pointed out, "I took out everything you might find solace in. You know there was a beautiful piano here, right over there. I sold it yesterday. You will get nothing from me, Edward Cullen, nothing. I don't want to hear your sad little love songs, I don't want to see you get one smile from anything you do here. You can stand here bored for the next 20 years for all I care. Just stand here and gape out the window, like the caged lion you are. I think that would make my James happy."

"When those 20 years are over…", Edward began with a low evil voice, "I will have my revenge, Victoria. So enjoy my sentence while it lasts."

"I will.", she looked at him, wishing there were any hint of James in Edward, but there wasn't. Edward was an eternal boy scout, giving her that wounded puppy face. James was wild, wicked, sexy. Her eyes went a little sad as she left the room.

"Fix my bath, Edward.", she demanded, taking off her coat and tossing it onto a large king sized bed.

He didn't move, clenching his jaw. How the hell was he going to bear this for 20 years? There was no way. He wished he could kill himself, at least he'd be out of his misery. Then he thought of Bella and what it would do to her if he killed himself. He promised her he'd never do that. Damn. Then the thought of Victoria having Bella forced Edward into the bathroom, kneeling at the tub and turning the faucets on. He wanted to scream.

"I like it cold.", she came in as he bent over the tub, turning on the water. His jaw tightened again, and he turned off the hot water.

"It figures.", he muttered.

"You've gotten too used to those human girls.", she smirked down at his back, "You're forgetting your own kind. That's one of the reasons they gave you to me, so I can teach you."

He stood up, with a cold look on his face, ignoring her.

"Nice cold water, bye.", he was about to walk out.

"Come back Edward." She ordered, watching as he stopped and didn't turn towards her.

"Come stand here by the tub and keep me company." She smirked, enjoying this game with Edward now, "James would always bathe with me."

"James bathed?", Edward crossed his arms, sounding surprised, not turning toward her.

"Now, Edward.", Victoria snapped, "Unless you want Bella to be washing my back…I suggest you behave.."

She was going to use Bella to make him move for the next 20 years, Edward told himself, and there was nothing he could do about it. He ached every time he heard her name, and as the years dragged on, he knew her name would only get harder to hear.

With a hard couple of steps, Edward turned, frozen in his spot, arms still crossed. His lips were a hard line of stone, his eyes deadly as he watched her.

She smiled wide, loving his raging eyes. Maybe he did have a little fire in him after all.

Victoria started unbuttoning her slacks, slipping them down her white bare legs. Edward just stared her down, not moving away, not giving her the satisfaction.

Then she unbuttoned her blouse, opening it, revealing her white pale breasts, still not getting Edward's sad or embarrassed eyes yet. She stood there, naked, waiting for him to react.

With a raised brow, Edward shrugged, "Is that it?"

But she was a skilled player, too, and she smiled back.

"You don't fool me Edward.", she purred, slipping into the cold water, "I know you're a pure little boy. I can't wait to teach you some things. Once you've loosened up, of course."

"I'd rather die." He informed.

She was right in the tub but as the water rose too high, she said, "Turn off the water, Edward."

With a small sigh, he bent down and turned it off, returning to his iron stance a couple feet away.

"So, tell me a little about Bella.", she played with his emotions again, for fun, staring at him while she laid back into the tub, "Does she like to take baths?"

Edward stared straight ahead, not even making eye contact. His jaw tightened, his fists clenched.

"Did she cry when you left her?", Victoria smiled more, "Did you tell her you'd come back?"

Nothing from Edward but controlled rage in his eyes.

"Edward…", she smiled coyly, "Are you going to cry?"

His nostrils flared as he inhaled, closing his eyes, willing himself not to kill her right in the tub.

"Do you miss your family yet?", she giggled, splashing him; water landing onto his white shirt, making part of it stick to his abs.

"Do you miss James yet?", he shot back, staring at her.

"You're not going to hurt ME, Edward.", she informed, "I can't BE hurt anymore. But you, you poor little Edward, can, because you have lots of people who you cannot be with for a long long time. Do you think Bella will marry someone else while you're gone, or do you think she'll wait twenty years til you come back ?"

"I hate you." He spat back simply.

"Yea, but, do you realize when you finally are free of me, she'll be like, 39 years old?", Victoria made a face, "She'll be old and dried up by that point. You guys will make such a cute couple then. People will think she's your Mommy."

"At least I'll see her again someday." Edward had a shred of hope left in his voice, "James is gone forever, good riddance."

"Well at least I won't have to worry about James finding happiness without me, having a full life while I was a slave to my worst enemy for 20 years.", she toyed with him, "Do you think you'll come to resent her? After all, it's all her fault you're in this mess."

Edward didn't answer, trying to tune out her voice.

"Besides," she smirked, wetting her hair in the water, "What if Bella meets with some horrible accident? She could get sick or die before you get a chance to see her again. That would be terrible."

"It better never happen, Victoria." Edward warned, not making eye contact, "If she dies, there's nothing to hold me to you…or to keep me from tearing you limb from limb."

"Tsk tsk tsk." Victoria shook her head, "Sentenced to 20 years and still so violent and eager to kill your own. I hope you learn something in the next 20 years. And, Edward, would you really go look Bella up after 20 whole years have gone by? That's not very smart. She surely will have moved on by then. One of her children will probably answer the door while you stand there, pathetically hoping she has any room left in her life for you. You'd humiliate yourself and her."

"Give me something to do." He demanded, folding his arms, so angry he knew he'd kill her if he didn't get away from her somehow, at least for a short time.

"Hmmm." She smiled, closing her eyes, "I'm hungry. Go get me something to eat. A nice strong high school boy. That would be lovely."

"What?" he didn't see this coming. His mind was so filled with anger and hurt that he didn't even think of reading her vile thoughts.

"You heard me, Edward Cullen." She splashed him again hard, getting water in his face this time, "Pick me out a nice cute one."

For a moment he pictured himself doing it, dragging some poor kid in here and watching while she played with him and finally fed on him. For a half second he considered Mike Newton…OOOH, Jacob Black! But, in all seriousness, he could only think of one word.

"No." he answered, wiping his face to rid himself of her smelly water scent.

"Edward." She frowned a bit, "Don't refuse me anything. I can discipline you if you don't obey me. This is part of your training, learning to hunt and capture your prey. You can get yourself one, too. Find a cute little couple in the park, making out or something. We'll split them."

"Are you deaf?" Edward looked into her eyes, "N – O." he spelled it for her.

"Very well." She replied, "You give me no choice then. I guess I'll have to be hard on you for awhile."

EPOV

When I couldn't stand thinking of the giant hole that was my life now, other little things poked at me, stupid things but regardless, they were bothering me.

I had no car, I had no money, no clothes of my own. Victoria told me I could only wear James' old clothes but that idea repulsed me. I was still wearing my white sweater that I'd worn on the day of my trial. It still had Bella's smell all over it, and also all the rest of my family's scent, too. That always comforted me and kept them close.

I didn't even have the dull routine of school anymore. I couldn't play my music, I couldn't read, I couldn't write. I hardly spoke at all. I truly had nothing, just as Victoria wanted it.

Then, once again, the more serious losses hissed in my brain. I had no father, no mother, no brothers and sisters, no Bella. I sat in the basement of the house most days, on the cool cement floor, not even wanting to use Victoria's furniture. This was not home. I had no home.

I loathed her more with every new day and she would often seek me out, taunting me about Bella mostly, and of course, how thirsty I looked. I wished there were some menial tasks I could perform that would at least make my days go by a little quicker, in some feeble hope that my mind could stop thinking about Bella for one second, but Victoria would give me nothing, not even that.

We were playing this little game of who would break first, me or her in the feeding department. I refused to drink human blood and she was just waiting until I crumbled and gave in to go hunting with her. Hunting animals was not allowed, she had told me in no uncertain terms. Besides, there were no real animals in this area to feed on anyway. So I let myself starve.

One night she tossed a little teenage girl with brown hair into the basement with me, locking her inside. For a half second I almost thought it was Bella in the dark, only the scent was so different than hers. That was the cruelest trick of hers yet. I smashed open a window up near the ceiling of the basement and it took all my control to boost her up to it and release her. She had stood on my back and I had almost considered feeding from her then but managed to stop myself.

What sucked was, the minute she got out Victoria pounced on her and killed her anyway, drinking her while I watched.

I once tried to write a letter to Bella, deciding that was somehow better than nothing at all. I was about to write something to the effect of 'live your life without me and be happy – forget about me" when Victoria had caught me doing it and mocked me tirelessly, reciting what I had written in a baby voice, then tearing it up and getting rid of any writing utensils and paper in the place.

The thirst is getting horrible now. I am starving but I can't even go hunt alone. I thought about doing what I'd done before and feeding off the wicked humans out there. God knows there were lots of them. But I knew from past experience how dark that had made me, how their essence would stay in my blood then, and I really would start to become James. That's all I worked for now, to stay Edward and not become James. In 20 years, if I had become James, I'd find Bella someday and she'd look at me with disgust, hating who I'd become. That thought terrified me daily.

Victoria's days were mostly spent in the house, bothering me. Victoria saw herself as a girl rock star, and she loved to party all night long with humans and vampires alike. Another reason I retreated to the basement. The entire house would become a nightclub at 9pm, the blaring music driving me up the walls. Humans and vampires doing drugs all over the place, having sex on the floor and furniture, kitchen counters, you name it.

By dawn, some of those humans were killed, feasted on by the partying vampires there. Cleaning this all up was one task she always let me perform. She told me I'd get used to it and soon I'd be up there with her, learning how to remove the stick from my ass. God how I hated her.

Today she came down to the basement and opened the door, standing there, sighing at me, disappointment painted all over her face.

"My poor, sad, little boy." Victoria began the teasing once more, making a sad face and slowly walking in, "Poor Edward. You just love to feel sorry for yourself, don't you?"

I just stared at the cement wall ahead of me, trying to think of Bella's laugh instead of Victoria's snide cutting little comments.

"Ready to feed today, Edward?" she always asked me this first thing every morning. As usual, I didn't reply.

"You look sick." She informed without emotion, "Sooner or later, we have to do this. You're supposed to be learning vampire life in these 20 years, not sitting around here all day."

My jaw tightened, letting her know she would not be hearing my voice today.

"Still not talking to me, either, huh?" she grinned, "You are such a child, Edward."

"Get up." She ordered as usual, going to the far right wall to get her weapon.

I stood up right away, taking my shirt off and folding it carefully, placing it on the floor near my favorite corner. This was a usual morning ritual with her. I used to fight it, telling her to go to hell, but then the courts had informed me if I kept resisting her orders, Bella would be here instead of me. So that ended any resistance I had left.

Victoria was watching me as she gave her silver whip a lash into the floor, liking the sound it made.

"That shirt has been on you since the day you came here." She said, just realizing, "I told you, you can wear James' clothes."

_**I'd rather eat shit**_, I thought before I could help myself, glad she couldn't read my mind. I reached up and grabbed the pipes tight, as per our usual routine.

"Tonight you will change clothes, Edward." She demanded, still not getting a response from me. If she thought me being here was going to cure her loneliness, she had another guess coming.

"Ready, baby?" she purred, loving having this control over me. She waited, looking at the half healed scars on my bare back, remembering each blow she had delivered. I always could read in her head the sexual excitement she got out of doing this to me, but she never did anything more than whip me, so I didn't bring it up, thankful she kept her distance.

I stared at the cement ahead of me again, steeling myself inside. This one hurt, this very thin and sharp whip of silver she had seemed to bite when it made contact. I would always bleed for a few minutes after each lash. But I couldn't let her know it hurt me.

A whoosh sound and a breeze accompanied the first morning's lash across the middle of my back, tearing the skin already. I clenched my eyes, gripping the pipes tighter overhead, keeping my teeth shut hard to hold in any sound I would make.

"You are going hunting with me tonight." She stated, delivering the next blow, making a big X mark across my white skin before her. I winced, glad she couldn't see my face. I thought my teeth might crack from the force I was using to grind them together.

"And you will speak to me from now on when I talk to you!" she added, snapping the next lash harder, across my spine. My head flew backwards, my body arching with it as I tried to process that last evil bite. But I didn't scream out…yet.

"What's that smell?" she asked as she came over to see my face, "Flowers."

_**Oh God no! Please don't let her figure it out, please!**_ I begged, not moving from the spot I was in.

She sniffed, bending down and picking up my sweater in its nice neat fold on the floor. I frowned, looking away. Fuck.

"Oh I see." She smiled, smelling it again, holding it close to her nose, looking into my nervous eyes, "This is why you wear this shirt. Bella is in it."

"Victoria." I heard myself say as I looked at her but she cut me off.

"Oh now you want to talk to me, huh Edward?" she frowned, smelling it again, "There are lots of people in this shirt. Mommy…Daddy….those pathetic siblings of yours…and sweet, sweet Bella. I'm sure they all gave you lots of hugs and kisses before you went off to trial."

I let go of the pipes and tried reaching for the sweater but that was a mistake. She snatched it away from me and screamed, "HOLD ONTO THAT PIPE UNTIL I TELL YOU TO LET GO!"

With a helpless frown I lunged my hands back up to grip the pipes, my eyes shooting daggers at her.

"Please Victoria, don't." I didn't beg but she heard the tone of my voice. She knew I wanted that shirt…badly. I knew then it was as good as gone.

She smiled, holding it up to my face and saying, "Bite."

Swallowing in disgust, I opened my mouth and bit down on the collar of the sweater, hating her fascination with humiliating me.

"Good dog." She patted my hair and walked around behind me. I knew she wasn't finished whipping me yet. That usually went on for at least 2 hours.

She was looking for something, I could read that much in her mind. The lack of blood was making my mind reading a bit blurry and I hated that, too.

Something wet was being dumped over me and onto the sweater, the smell was instantly recognizable…gasoline.

My eyes widened and I shouted, "NO!" through the muffle of the sweater in my teeth. She flicked a lighter and slowly walked over in front of me again, smiling at me.

"I am all you have now. Get used to it. Say goodbye to them, Edward." She laughed, placing the flame under one of the sleeves. The whole thing went up in seconds, blazing as I dropped it from my mouth, a loud angry and pained growl tearing from my throat.

I heard myself roaring as I stared down at the flames near my feet, the whole thing was completely gone. My family…my love. I would not smell their sweet scents again for 20 years, if at all. It was all I had left. If I could have cried, I certainly would have.

I felt my body go limp, dangling as I held the pipes overhead. Then came another lash of the whip, right across the back of my neck.

"RRRRRRRRR" I felt my body jerk up at the intense pain.

"The pouting is over with, do you understand?" she was saying behind me. Another lash.

"You are going to start learning from me and acting like a vampire for once." She continued, delivering another hard cut to my shoulder blade.

"Say it." She demanded, "I will feed tonight."

LASH.

LASH.

LASH.

LASH.

I couldn't stand it anymore, I felt weak. I could feel long heavy wet lines on my back.

"I will feed tonight." I heard my pitiful voice breathe, closing my eyes, glad my family or Bella couldn't see me now. I was filled with shame and emptiness. I took the rest of her abuse that day without a word or a sound.

When she was finally satisfied that I'd had enough, she told me to go upstairs and clean up.

I went without another word, my back very wet as I gave one last look to the black pile of burnt cotton on the floor. It stunk of gasoline and burnt fabric. No smell of Bella or Esme or Alice…none of them. They were stolen from me all over again.

Victoria would go out now for awhile, if the sun wasn't out. Good, it wasn't, I could see as I got up to the living room.

"I will choose your food tonight." She informed me, sitting on the counter and lighting a cigarette as she watched me begin to get a large black garbage bag.

"I'm a big boy." I muttered, "I can pick my own."

She smiled, exhaling the smoke from her full red lips as she studied me working.

"You will really be something when you're normal." She observed, trying to give me some kind of compliment.

"I am normal." I said in a dull lifeless tone, throwing half eaten food and the contents of filled ashtrays into my bag.

She sighed, still amused by me, "You really are a brat, your back is bleeding and you're still the little mouthy one, aren't you, Edward?"

"Why can't you just leave me alone, Victoria?" I asked, sounding tired from the thirst inside me, "Surely there is something else you can do."

"See, you're so hungry." She informed, almost taking a little pity on me, "You will be glad after you've fed, believe me. Maybe you'll even thank me a little. I know those animals you've been living on are awful. You have to admit."

"They're not bad." I stated without emotion.

"Come here, Edward." She said all of a sudden, curling her finger topped with a long red nail, motioning for me to come to her. I stiffened without thinking about it first, frozen, my eyes locked on hers with a grim stare. She was a swirl of raging hormones and she wanted me to come to her. No way.

"I'm busy." I said, knowing that would not be the end of it. I looked down and kept collecting garbage, trying to ignore the lifeless bodies of the humans on the sofa beside me. I always took care of them last.

"Now Edward." She gritted as if calling an unruly child, "God DAMN it!"

I dropped the bag with an attitude and walked over to her, close but not that terribly close. I kept my eyes blank.

"I have been patient with you, haven't I, Edward?" she almost purred, curling her whip around the back of my neck and pulling me closer to the counter she sat upon. I winced, looking down instead of at her face, setting my jaw.

"Haven't I let you sulk downstairs for a couple weeks now?" she tried her nice voice on me as she searched my face for a hint of feeling. She reached up with one of her hands, touching my cheekbone as she leaned in, trying to touch her mouth to the spot she'd just been caressing.

"Stop." I said firmly, raising my eyes to hers, glaring all my resistance at her.

"You belong to me now." She said in a softer voice, both her hands in my hair, grabbing as I frowned more, "Please, Edward, stop being a baby. Be a man."

Her lips grabbed hold of mine like an animal's, biting and sucking hard. I felt sick inside and it didn't take me a second to push her off, as exhausted as I felt from lack of blood. She fell backwards off the kitchen counter, slamming to the tile floor on her back. Ooops, I cringed a bit, I didn't mean to do that. She was after all, a woman.

Before I could help myself I said, "Sorry, Victoria, are you alright?"

The second I said it I wanted to slap myself. I am covered with whip marks and I'm asking HER if she's alright.

She stood up, snarling, her red eyes almost blazed like raw fire at me, her mane of long red curls like a lioness'.

"That's IT!" Victoria screamed, "I don't want you anymore, I want Bella instead! NOW! We'll see how she kisses."

My blood felt like ice in an instant. GOD !

"Victoria, I didn't mean to push you that hard…" I tried explaining as she shoved past me, going to her purse, getting a cell phone out, dialing it.

"Law department please." She said into her phone, ignoring me.

SHIT!

"Victoria, wait." I heard myself say, "Don't do that."

"Yes I'll hold." She sneered, folding her arms and continuing to ignore me as I moved to stand right in front of her.

"Please Victoria." I said in a low voice, searching my mind to find something to say to stop her. I knew what she wanted to hear, but I loathed even thinking of speaking the words. In a moment, I would soon lose myself completely.

"Get out of my face, Edward." She looked enraged but controlled it, "I'm not going to chase you around for 20 years, fuck you, you think you're too good for me ?!"

"Alright!" I shouted as she finished her sentence. She stopped yelling and stared at me, fuming.

_**Please forgive me, Bella. I will do anything to keep her from you, even if it means letting her have me.**_

I leaned in, forcing my mouth to touch hers, briefly, my eyes open, watching her eyes, not trusting her at all.

It felt like 100 years to me that the kiss lasted but she looked at me and said with a shrug, "Is that it ?"

Is that IT ?! I just betrayed everything I was to kiss her and it still wasn't good enough. I felt my eyes squint back at hers, in disbelief.

"Again, better." She demanded, waiting, staring at my lifeless eyes. I hesitated and she shook her cell phone, adding, "I'm still on hold, Edward, tick tock."

Almost trembling, I forced myself to act, switching off my brain and acting like the once dominant demon I had been during the decades I had hunted humans.

I grabbed her hair on both sides, yanking her to me hard, reading her memories with James, scanning over her desires to imitate her thoughts. I devoured her mouth as she had done to mine a moment ago, biting and roughly shoving my tongue inside, hating myself, hating her, hating my life.

I shoved her with my body, throwing her against the wall as I went numb, still kissing as hard as I could so she would stop threatening Bella. For an instant, I pretended I was kissing Bella herself, with all the enthusiasm and passion I had, no longer afraid to break her. I knew as soon as I did it, it would hurt me when I opened my eyes and saw it was all a lie.

"Edward, JESUS!" Victoria spoke in a husky breath, approving of my new energy, busting the fantasy of Bella being in my arms.

"What the hell happened to YOU?!" she gasped as she tossed the phone away, grabbing the back of my hair with her long fingernails, "Shit!" she roared, kissing me back with equal fierceness.

James WHO? I heard her thinking as I shut everything else out and performed my task, then I heard her mind say, Bella is a magic word. I won't forget that in the future.

Bitch! I felt sick again, instantly wishing I could take the last minute back. I felt myself pull away from her, breathing hard as she grabbed my jeans, quickly unbuckling the top button.

"WHOA!" I shouted, grabbing her wrists, pinning them to the wall at her sides, seeing the instant confusion in her eyes.

"Oooh, I like this game." She smiled, liking it that I gripped her wrists this way.

"Victoria, we have to stop this." I said quickly, letting her wrists go, backing away from her, hurrying back to pick up the garbage bag I was holding earlier, "I have work to do."

I knew I was only avoiding it, she would not let this go and I knew it.

"Oh no, Edward, after that little display, now I KNOW you're holding out on me." She pursued me, eager to pick up where my anger had left off.

"No." I said firmly, "That was a mistake, it wasn't me. Forget it."

"Screw YOU." She said in a high pitched voice, "I want you right now…take off those jeans like a good little pet."

"You can't force me to do THIS." I kept my back to her, wishing she'd just go away. I knew she really COULD force me. All she had to do was use her magic word. And we both knew it.

See next chapter soon!

Love

WinndSinger


	5. Chapter 5

Once Edward was gone, it took a long time for Bella to calm down. Emmett, true to his promise, held Bella softly, rubbing her back, stroking her hair, letting her cry on his chest as Rosalie glared at the two of them, silently fuming at the couple on the red sofa in the living room close to the front door.

Alice sat right beside Bella, ready to give information as soon as she could see it. Nothing yet.

"Why don't I take you to bed ?" Emmett said softly, getting a REALLY huge reaction from Rosalie's unforgiving eyes.

"I meant- to bed – to sleep!" Emmett explained loudly, looking at Rosalie, "Alone, in Edward's bed upstairs."

"No I want to be near the door when they come back." Bella sniffed, wiping her sore red eyes, laying her head on Emmett's rock hard denim leg, staring the glass door down firmly.

Esme was standing at the window near the front door, staring out into the blackness as if that would make her husband and son appear any moment now. She had been very quiet, too, hardly saying a word. Bella suspected she had been crying earlier as well. It was nice to know she wasn't the only one freaking out over this. Everyone else seemed so damn calm.

"Anything yet, Alice?" Bella asked, seeing the clock on the wall at exactly 11pm. She knew it was probably too soon to ask, Edward's trial was supposed to begin at 11pm, but it was killing her, this waiting. She pictured Edward in handcuffs, being shoved around the courtroom of the Volturi. It made her feel better that Carlisle was with him, but she had no idea what was going through Edward's mind right now. He needed her and she couldn't be there with him. What if Alice told her that they decided to kill Edward? She could do absolutely nothing about it.

"Not yet." Alice frowned, hating this as much as Bella was. She looked at Jasper, glad he was nearby to calm Bella down. She had nearly fainted when Edward left and it was a horrible thing to see her new almost-sister going through such pain.

Then the guilt washed over her again. She was truly the one who had twisted James' head off, tossing it into the flames, not Edward. True, Edward did WANT to kill James for harming Bella, but Carlisle had stopped him, knowing once Edward crossed that line back into his once dark ways, there would be a difficult road to get him back as he was now – kind, gentle, caring, sweet.

Edward had not always been that way in the past. But now, Edward was facing the charges, even though he didn't technically destroy James himself, but to him, it was his burden, gladly accepting it because it was done to save and protect Bella. She was his soul mate, and Edward didn't even think of letting someone else stand in his place as the accused. He was the best brother and friend Alice could have asked for. But if anything happened to Edward, she would never forgive herself.

A few minutes passed in total silence, then something flashed in Alice's mind. The vision of Edward in the complete blackness, a coffin lid slammed down over his face as silver chains rattled around it, sealing him inside as he screamed Bella's name. Alice couldn't help but gasp at the horror in Edward's face.

"What?" Bella sprang up, staring Alice down; the whole room sitting up at attention and looking at her as she shivered.

"No, wait." Alice frowned in confusion – that vision started to melt away. Thank GOD. That was almost a decision but then it was cast aside. Blurry visions were swirling around in her brain…someone trying to confirm a sentence.

She could see it clearer now, Victoria smiling. BITCH. Alice shoved her loathing of her aside to take in the picture forming. She could hear Edward's voice in the distance, shouting, "WAIT!" Carlisle was trying to grab Edward but his hands were pushed away by his son – something was terribly wrong. Edward was panicking. She hardly ever saw Edward in a panic before, not since they lost Bella that day in Phoenix.

"This is mine?" Victoria's voice echoed, sounding giddy and cruel as she looked at Edward, now in silver cuffs behind his back. He glared at her murderously, struggling in vein as she touched his body, grabbing his hair.

"Oh my God." Alice finally got the entire sentence, hearing the judge's words.

"ALICE!" Bella cried, screaming, "Is he alright?! What happened?! Are they going to kill him?!"

"Okay, first, no, he's not going to be killed." Alice turned to Bella, holding her shoulders, squarely looking into her tender terrified eyes.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief for the first time in 2 hours, Esme even held her stomach as she came closer to the sofa.

"Did they let him go?" Bella asked in desperate hope.

"No." Alice frowned, telling it to Bella straight, "They gave him to Victoria. They are making Edward take James' place, since they think he took James away from her."

"What?" Bella looked evil for a second, scaring Alice a little.

"They can't just GIVE Edward to her, like a fucking puppy!", Bella continued, outraged, "He's a person, not a thing!"

"For how long, Alice?" Esme thought to ask.

Alice winced, taking a look at her mother. "Twenty years."

"WHAT?!" everyone in the room shouted.

"He's very upset." Alice went on, seeing Edward's reactions now, "He was begging for the other punishment they almost gave him. 10 years in a coffin. That would truly kill him. The thirst would've driven him mad. Carlisle did a great job speaking for Edward, they decided to give him the kinder sentence."

"Kinder?" Bella asked, hardly able to speak clearly.

"The judge took pity on Edward, being so young, learning to live by Carlisle's ways. They think he needs to learn how to live like a true vampire. They want Victoria to teach him. The judge thought that was better for Edward."

"That is insane!" Bella stood up, trying to think of what to do now, "We have to go there and get him and bring him home!"

"Carlisle is booking a flight to Italy to speak to Aro." Alice informed, seeing that decision made now, "He will not leave there until he finds a way to save Edward. We just have to wait and let him handle this."

"No!" Bella looked around her. All their faces were sad but dormant, as if that was that. No one was hatching a plan to stop this.

"What is this?!" Bella shouted at them, "You're all just giving up?! Edward wouldn't do that to any of YOU!"

"Bella" Rosalie spoke up now, looking aggravated, "This is the Volturi. You don't just change their sentences because you don't like them. What if they did change their minds and sentence Edward to death instead? Would that make you happier?"

"That's a stupid question!" Bella shouted back, trembling now.

"Bella." Esme put her hands around Bella softly, "Let Carlisle try talking to Aro. They are good friends. That is the best chance Edward has to come home to us. If you anger them unnecessarily, it could cost Edward more. Listen, he is alive, he's not hurting. Right now he's probably just in a car with Victoria, driving to wherever she is living right now. He is very strong and he can hold on for a little while. Believe me."

"Edward's not hurting right now?" Bella scoffed, "If you really believe that, then you don't know Edward at all. Who knows what she will do to him?! I don't want her NEAR Edward, let alone OWNING him!! No, I can't just sit here while this happens, I have to go there!"

"Go where?!" Emmett spoke now, standing in front of her, "Listen, Bella, the last thing I told Edward was that I promised to take care of you, just as he would. You're staying here with us, where you're safe. That's what Edward would do. I owe him a safe Bella, at least, after he took the fall for what we did to James. And if I have to lock you in Edward's room, I will."

Bella looked sick, weak. Jasper was doing his best with his powers to keep Bella as calm and quiet as possible.

Alice licked her lips and said, "We don't even know where she is going with him yet. Let's just wait until I can see what Carlisle can do with Aro first. Please? If there's no other way for him to get out, I swear we will all go and get him. Okay?"

"You're going to break Edward out of his sentence from the Volturi?" Rosalie raised a brow, knowing how stupid this idea was, "We'd all be killed, including Edward!"

Bella started to cry, shivering as if ice cold. Emmett wrapped his strong big arms around her protectively and whispered, "Please, let me take care of you Bella. Edward told me to. He would want you to sleep. We will figure things out, I swear to you. I would never let Edward go down like that. I promise."

She whimpered, hugging Emmett back, glad to hear those words from one of them, finally.

"I want Edward." She cried like a small child wanting her favorite doll. She kept seeing his face, smelling his scent, hearing his voice.

It made her feel nauseous to think of Edward being with Victoria, against his will. She would want him, Bella knew, she would try to make Edward do unspeakable things. Most of all, she would try to seduce him. Bella wanted to vomit.

What if, in time, Edward came to like her? She was very beautiful and a vampire, like himself. She would teach him to feed off humans. He had told her that animal blood left him unsatisfied all the time. Once he was back to drinking human blood, he would not be able to stop. He would enjoy it too much to give it up again. He had told her that himself. Soon, he would see all humans as nothing except food, her included. What if this sentence brought them together and he liked Victoria more? What if he came to love her? There were surely vile nightmares waiting for her in bed upstairs but she felt herself going with Emmett and Alice as they walked her to Edward's room.

"I know, honey." Emmett soothed gently in her right ear, "He will be home soon. Just know that. He would never be anywhere away from you for very long."

Before Bella knew it, she was standing in the doorway of Edward's bedroom. Memories of him danced all over the empty room. She could picture him laying on the bed, sitting on the sofa reading, at his desk writing in his journal, even him flying out the window like a hot Peter Pan. Her legs felt numb and she almost fell down, but Emmett scooped her up into his arms and laid her gently in the bed, covering her with the blankets.

"You haven't slept for a week." Emmett informed quietly, "Please try. If we do need to help Edward, you need to be at full strength. Okay, Bella?"

"I'm going to have nightmares." She stated as if it was a sure fact. Emmett thought about laying next to her like Edward would, but then the thought of Rosalie made him tremble inside.

"I'll stay with you, Bella."Alice offered, knowing Emmett would be punished for this kind thought later. Besides, she also knew it would have killed Edward to know that Emmett had laid next to Bella while she slept. That was his place alone. Bella would have only wanted Edward anyway.

"Thanks Alice." Bella smiled weakly, trying to lay her head down on the pillow, crying instantly.

"Bella?" Alice started to get comfy laying at Bella's side, looking down over her.

"I can smell Edward." Bella said in a shaky little voice, hugging the pillow and inhaling it deeply.

"Good." Alice smiled softly, stroking her hair like a protective pixie, "Let that make you strong. Edward is close by as long as you love him."

She turned off the lights, humming a slow melody that Bella never heard before. Trembling a bit, she wondered where Edward was right now and what was happening to him. Goodnight Edward, she said silently in her heart, stifling more tears that were dieing to cry into Edward's pillow. Please don't be afraid, Edward, she said to him inside her head, I will do anything I have to do to bring you home.

Victoria swallowed again, feeling warmer inside now as her little boy stopped struggling. She smoothed his dark silk hair over his face as his eyes looked up at her in blank emptiness; his mouth open.

"All done already?" a white hand stroked her long red curls from above. His voice sounded loving towards her, but familiar.

She smiled up at the man standing above her, her full lips wet with fresh blood.

"He was too good." Victoria licked her lips to get one last taste, looking down at the teenager's face; his skin tan against his white pearly teeth.

"I'm glad you enjoyed him." The male voice sounded as if he were smiling, "His name was Eric-something…"

"Was he one of the boys who wouldn't play with you in school?" she joked, stroking his cheek as he laid there dead.

"Yea." The male responded, sounding a little bitter, "But he wasn't as bad as others. He wore a mask of fake kindness when he saw me. I'd have preferred him to be more honest and tell me to fuck off."

"When are you going to eat yours?" Victoria turned, seeing the young girl on the forest ground, her wrists tied with rope under her body as she struggled, silver duct tape tightly over her mouth, a bit wet from the tears running down Angela's little face. Her dark hair fell over half of it, hiding some of her terror as she looked up at the dark figure standing over her.

"Now." He decided, tilting his head as he looked down at his caught prey, coming down on one knee as Angela's breathing sped up, watching the standoffish classmate she once adored coming closer down to her. Muffled by the tape over her mouth, her small little whimperings made the vampire smile down at her in amusement.

"I like to drink when they're scared." The male voice informed with a dull tone, "It tastes better and it's hotter."

Her throat was so vulnerably exposed and her hands useless behind her as he took her shoulders into the palms of his icy hands, bringing her neck up to his hungry mouth.

She was trying to scream NO over and over through the duct tape and he could make out her message, but instead he grinned and cooed sweetly, "Aww, Angela, I thought you liked me."

Giving out a little cry, she stared back at a wicked looking Edward Cullen, trying to take it all in. Edward was a vampire, no wonder they all stayed away from the other kids in school. He was going to kill her now and there was not a damn thing she could do about it.

"Don't worry." Edward placed a small kiss on her forehead to calm her a bit, "I'll be quick."

The next thing she felt was his wet tongue on her neck, coldness, and his teeth took one expert bite as she screamed out loud.

See next chapter soon!

WinndSinger


	6. Chapter 6

"AAAAAAAAAA!!!!" Bella screamed so loud she thought glass should be shattering somewhere. She found herself sitting up in bed, a startled Alice right by her side, trying to hold her.

Emmett raced in, almost knocking the door off the hinges, shouting, "BELLA?!"

"It's okay, I've got her." Alice held a hand up to Emmett, assuring him all was alright, adding, "Nightmare."

"Jesus Christ." Emmett muttered, holding his chest and closing the door, saying something about "don't know how Edward does it". Obviously she had scared him. He wasn't used to caring for a human basket case 24/7 like Edward was.

"Sorry Emmett." Bella found her voice, thanking God that was a dream and not reality.

"Was it a bad one?" Alice asked, stroking down the back of her hair.

"Yes, very." Bella admitted without remorse, "Alice? What if he likes his life with Victoria better?"

"Are you insane?" Alice smirked, thinking of her brother, "This is a man who lines up his socks and folds them three times before putting them in the drawer. Do you really believe he's going to love roaming around out in the open from place to place wearing the clothes of his victims and being with that trash bag called Victoria? He can hardly stand Jessica Stanley, let alone that evil wench!"

"I know, but, human blood is better than animal blood, Edward said to me once." Bella began, "And once he tastes it again…"

"He is very strong and has a lot of control over himself, Bella." Alice reminded, "Hell, he WANTS you and holds himself back perfectly all the time. Imagine how he'll resist something he DOESN'T want."

"That's true." Bella couldn't deny that. At times, Edward was as immovable as a rock. But how long could he hold on? And he'd be suffering while he held on, too. She hated this. Part of her felt angry, too, at Alice and Emmett, Jasper, too. They were truly the ones who killed James and even though it was unreasonable to blame them, part of her did. But, she was even more angry at herself. She was the real reason James had to die in the first place. It WAS all her fault. She wanted to die.

Victoria sighed, looking at the microwave clock. 10:29pm.

"Edward darling…" she laid her head back against the wall, "I don't mind waiting while you get prettier, but we should get going."

No reply from the bedroom.

"I don't get it, you should be famished." Victoria tried to be patient again, "If I didn't eat for three weeks I'd be positively chomping at the bit."

"I'm coming." His voice was hard and tight.

The door finally began to open and she let her eyes dart to the door, hoping to see the new Edward Cullen all ready to make his debut into vampire life.

He stepped out awkwardly, making a stern face at Victoria as she drank him in with her eyes.

"You look like a rock god." She complimented, going from his black leather boots, past the black jeans with a stylish hole in the right knee, the red t shirt and the black leather jacket.

He was perfect, except for the face.

"What is this face you're making at me?" Victoria frowned as she looked into his hesitant eyes.

"I hate this outfit." Edward sulked, "I don't dress this way. It's very uncomfortable."

"I know, you like those John Boy clothes." Victoria rolled her eyes, "You look HOT! We're going to a club, you have to look the part. How else are you going to attract anyone?"

"I don't hunt that way." Edward said sternly, "I don't need to play the game of acting like I'm interested in someone – that's cruel. I usually just sneak up on the person and do it quickly, before they realize what's happening. I don't like talking to them beforehand."

"That's boring." Victoria commented, opening a drawer in the bedroom and taking a little box out, "You could have a whole night of fun with a hot girl before you have to end it. Let yourself have a good time. Stop acting so miserable."

"Please let me hunt my own way." His eyes were hard as he looked into her.

"If I did that, you'd have little animal carcasses all over the place." She smirked.

Edward sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. She was determined to make him a monster, only something he'd fought his entire existence not to become.

"I want to give you something." Victoria turned towards him, holding something golden in her hand. He readied himself for something mean but to his surprise her mind was gentle right now, no malice churning inside her.

"What?" he almost backed away as she came closer. His eyes were guarded.

"I know I've been mean to you." She said with a deep low voice, "I won't say I'm sorry because I know you need that to pull you away from the life you used to know. But I was remembering my newborn days, before I accepted this life and all it came with. I was very like you, you know, in the beginning. I used to cry all the time. I hated killing. So I do understand what you're feeling. I'm not the evil bitch you'd like to think I am. Don't tell anyone, though, it's a secret."

Edward didn't answer. He didn't want to like her and this little speech was designed to make him do just that.

"This is something a very wise vampire gave me during that time." She opened the catch to the necklace and curled her hands around his neck, clasping it together again, "It's a lion claw, encased in black marble. I know you are a stubborn, proud lion so I thought it was fitting. The vampire told me at the time that we are all animals and we should never be ashamed of that. Lions are beautiful and strong and free…and they have no guilt of what they eat to survive."

"I'm not any of those things." Edward said, sadly looking into her eyes for some hint of understanding.

"You are." She smiled a bit, "You just have to let yourself go. Don't fight it. We could live together for 20 years if you would follow me. We could have fun."

She thought back to earlier today when Edward refused her. Not forcing him, she retreated, hoping he'd come around on his own later. She would certainly never chase any man who didn't want her. Every man wanted her and pursued her…Edward would too, someday. She would wait for that. But she realized, Edward was not James. She would have to be gentle with him if she wanted him to really belong to her.

"Victoria…" Edward spoke carefully, not wanting to anger her and have Bella in her mind again. He wanted to tell her that he would never be happy with her, that he loved Bella and would always want her only. He wanted to make her understand that it was nothing personal against her, but he would never be this person she wanted him to be. But as soon as he thought of it, he knew she would react with anger and threats.

"What is it?" she looked like she was trying to read his mind.

"Nothing." He said, defeated, looking down at the floor.

"Come on, quiet one." She grabbed his hand and tugged him along after her, "I want to dance and feed."

See next chapter soon!

Love WinndSinger


	7. Chapter 7

"We're almost there." Victoria tried to smile at Edward beside her as she drove into the center of town. Neon red lights shadowed Edward's porcelain face and his eyes almost looked red as she caught his gaze. She liked the way it looked. Soon, she told herself…tonite.

But Edward's eyes did not return her happy grin. He wasn't angry at the moment, but she recognized the emotion in him…the sadness was so thick there was nothing else inside him. She wished just for one night he would laugh and play with her. James was so easy to be with. Edward was much more difficult.

She made herself forget about his little feelings and go back into teacher mode.

"Alright, so, the plan is – once we're inside, we go our separate ways." She began, "Pick someone out, ask her to dance, buy her a drink. Pretend to be happy. Later, when I have mine, I'll come find you. We'll offer to drive them home. Once we get to the woods, we'll have plenty of privacy."

"I told you, I don't hunt that way" Edward began to explain but Victoria blasted her radio all the way up, hurting Edward's ears. Victoria smiled at him and shouted over the music, "Sorry, I can't hear you."

Frowning, Edward clenched his jaw, staring straight ahead and tightening his fists in his lap as she parked behind a string of nightclubs.

_**I could be with Bella right now, snuggled up on the sofa reading a book, **_Edward thought as he stayed in his seat, watching Victoria get out of the car and slam the door behind her.

He would've stayed there all night if she didn't tear his car door open a second later, yanking him out by the chain around his neck she'd put there earlier. He winced, staring her down as she grabbed his hand, moving quickly towards one of the clubs, a horrendous line of humans waiting to get inside.

She passed all of them, dragging Edward behind her. He felt sick inside, the wind was blowing and human blood pumped all around him. Heartbeats, the scent of flesh and blood almost mocked him as his mouth fell open, his eyes vacant and hungry as she jogged on her spiked red heels to the doorman.

Without a word, she smiled at the man and grabbed his long black hair, bringing his lips down to hers as she devoured them hungrily. He returned her deep violent kiss with the same desire. Edward cringed, looking away, still attached to her hand as they made out.

"Go ahead in, sweetheart." The man stroked Victoria's hair, and as she walked to the door, she pulled Edward behind her. The doorman looked upon him with distaste, asking, "Who's this?"

Victoria smiled at Edward and cooed like a little girl, "This is my pretty new toy. Isn't it cute?"

Edward swallowed, not having the strength to do anything but glare back at him silently.

He never felt more like an object in his life. He had thought Victoria might have some good inside her after her little gift giving speech, but he was back to being her property again. He should've known it was all a lie.

"Adorable." The man said with a touch of venom in his voice, "Have fun."

Before he could say a word, Victoria whisked him inside into a sea of blackness and flashing colored lights, loud music and humans packed in like sardines, dancing and jumping all around him.

"Oh God." Edward heard himself mutter, the heat and smell of blood so intense he thought he might drink four people before his eyes even focused to the darkness.

"That's YOUR fault, waiting so long to feed, Edward." Victoria scolded him like a three year old child, "If you really can't wait, take some girl to the bathroom and do her there. Just make sure no one sees anything."

"Victoria, please, I have to get out of here!" Edward almost begged, feeling a young girl behind him, curling her tan arms around his neck from behind. His eyes clenched tight, his body shaking from the intense need. This was Victoria's plan all along, tossing him into this hot box of people, knowing he wouldn't be able to resist.

"Don't leave, Edward." Victoria warned, placing a soft kiss on his dark red lips, "I'll know about it."

"Victoria!" Edward grabbed her arm but she broke away, dancing off with a couple of muscle bound guys who instantly accepted her.

Edward turned to his right, his head dizzy, not even sure where the exit was. A woman's beautiful face was right below his suddenly, her hands grabbing his jacket as she smiled at him approvingly, putting her mouth right into the unbuttoned top of his shirt, licking…closing her lips over his cold marble flesh.

"Don't…" Edward breathed, afraid if he touched her, he would break her with the force he would bring in his state. But he didn't feel his legs moving himself away from her, his ragged breaths fell down over her face, attracting her in further with his intoxicating aroma. His hands moved slowly down her bare toned arms…she was completely under his spell now, yanking his shirt open, tearing it to keep kissing his skin.

Her heart was pounding so loud, she smelled like cinnamon, his legs were like cement. It was so dark here, no one would see him take her. His fist gently grabbed her curly black hair, bringing her throat towards his opening mouth.

"I'm sorry." He whispered, unsure if it was spoken to her, or himself, or Bella, or even Carlisle…regardless, he spoke the words, resigned to the fate that laid before him. He was about to kill again, this time, an innocent. She was smiling up at him, thinking he was attracted to her too, as if about to receive a kiss.

A strong hand attached itself onto Edward's back at the last moment, before his teeth made contact, the girl was feet away from him suddenly, in a daze, staring at him as he was being pulled away by something. Edward almost cried out as he was losing her, but then he was shoved into a little room and the door slammed behind him.

The men's room, Edward could see where he was now. A dim orange light showing the red floor and black stall doors before him.

"That was close." A man's voice scoffed behind him, "What were you DOING?"

Edward blinked, smelling no human blood nearby at the moment, turning.

"EMMETT!" Edward nearly screamed, throwing his arms around his huge skulking brother.

"Eddie Munster." Emmett smiled, patting Edward's back. It wasn't often Edward flung his arms around him, which only told Emmett just how miserable Edward probably was these last few weeks.

"Ow" Edward winced suddenly, from the impact of Emmett's hand on his back.

"What?" Emmett frowned, trying to read Edward's expression. It was pain – then quickly he tried to mask it with a smile.

"Nothing." Edward smiled more.

"You're a horrible liar, Edward." Emmett frowned, spinning Edward around, yanking off the leather jacket and lifting the t shirt up so he could see Edward's back. Healed slash marks covered his brother's flesh, making Emmett gasp out loud.

"Fucking bitch!" he growled as Edward frowned at his reflection in the mirror on the wall, turning to his brother and gently breaking free.

"Don't –" Edward let his true feelings show now, humiliation and shame, "She'll hear you."

"I don't give a fuck if she does or not, let her come in here, I'm ready right now!" Emmett dared, looking enraged, "Why would you let her do that to you?"

"She threatens Bella if I don't obey her, OKAY?" Edward hated sounding so slave-like. He FELT owned.

Emmett didn't answer, just stared at Edward with pity in his eyes.

"She whips me everyday I don't feed." Edward informed, staring down at the sink in front of him.

"I was just going to say" Emmett took Edward's chin, looking into his eyes to see their color, "You look sick, how long has it been since you fed?"

Looking up, Edward had to think about it, "Uh…I didn't feed for the week after I got the letter about the trial, and haven't fed at all since going with Victoria."

"Edward, that's like almost five weeks!!" he shouted, "Too long, man!"

"No shit, Emmett!" Edward hissed, suddenly furious, "I'm fucking starving – I almost killed that girl out there a second ago! Thank GOD you stopped me. I don't know how much longer I can hang on. And being in this place all night…I can't make it."

"Oh, wait." Emmett grabbed the backpack on his shoulder, unzipping it, "I brought this for you, in case."

He took out a white sports bottle, adding, "It's a mountain lion, your favorite, a pretty pissed off one, too. But it's cold."

Edward's black eyes held a spark of hope, biting off the lid, seeing the thick crimson inside.

"Oh GOD YES" he gulped it down instantly, moaning into the cup as some of it ran down the sides of his mouth. His throat swallowed each cold mouthful down hard. It disturbed Emmett to watch this, it was evident from watching Edward drink this ice cold shit that he truly was starving.

When he drank it all, he kept licking the inside of the cup, trying to get the very last drop as he groaned in disappointment. Finally, he took the cup from his mouth and looking at Emmett, asking, "Any more?"

"Edward, I'm not leaving you with her." Emmett stated, wishing he did have more for his brother, "Look what she's doing to you. You cursed at me! You NEVER curse ! I know that's the thirst talking."

Wiping his lips and the sides of his chin, he turned the water on in the sink, cleaning the blood off his hands.

"WAIT" Edward snapped out of his own troubles suddenly, looking at Emmett with a new frown, "What are you doing here?! You're supposed to be protecting BELLA! Don't you DARE tell me she's around here !"

"No, of course not !" Emmett defended himself, "What do you think I am?"

"Where is she?"

"At home, Alice and Esme are watching over her." Emmett informed, "I've been taking care of her just like you would. I even had to lock her in your room a few times."

"What ?!"

"Don't worry, she was fine." Emmett put a hand up, "She kept trying to escape, saying she was going to save you. Seriously, she is a full time job !"

"I know." Edward felt a small smile tug at the corner of his lips, "How is she ?"

"Oh great." Emmett scoffed, "She's trying to decide who to go to the prom with now, Newton or Jacob Black. What'd you think ?"

"Stop." Edward frowned more, twisting the knobs shut on the sink, a pained expression taking over his chiseled face now.

"Look, let's take a chance and just run for it." Emmett suggested, "Carlisle is in Italy trying to talk to Aro for you, but he's been gone for awhile and Alice can't see anything coming of it yet. Esme cries all the time, Bella is a psycho, Alice feels guilty, and so do Jasper and I, too ! And you are a total mess, too. I say we take our chances and make a break for it."

"NO" Edward turned to him, "Wait for Carlisle. He's still head of the family. I trust him."

"You can't wait anymore, man!" Emmett turned Edward's face to make himself look in the mirror again, "You are so weak now, you almost fed on a human! What are you gonna do ?"

"I don't know Emmett!" Edward growled, hating his own reflection, breaking away from it, "I'm just trying to get from one day to the next – I don't have a plan. Every bit of strength I had is gone…every time I try to stand up to her Bella is threatened. She knows my weakness and she wields it like a kid playing with a gun. She expects me to feed tonite and I don't think I have the will to resist it anymore !"

"Maybe you shouldn't." Emmett thought aloud, getting a glare from Edward.

"I mean" Emmett scratched his head, "I can see how hungry you are…maybe just one human would make you feel better."

"Just one human." Edward closed his eyes, clenching his fists, "No big deal, right ?"

"I didn't mean it to sound cold." Emmett sighed, "I just hate seeing you this hungry. Come hunting with me now. We can find you something."

"I can't leave here." Edward suddenly looked nervous, "She'll know. I can't risk it. She'll get Bella."

Suddenly, he darted to the mirror, checking the color of his eyes, muttering, "Good, still black."

"God, you look afraid of her." Emmett noticed aloud, squinting.

"I'm not afraid of her." Edward sounded insulted, "But I'll die before she gets her hands on Bella."

"What's this?" Emmett saw the lion claw around his neck and held it, studying it more closely.

"A collar." Edward frowned, tugging it out of Emmett's hand, "She tried calling it a gift but I know damn well what it really is."

"Just…tell me what I can do for you, Edward, and I'll do it." Emmett sounded so lost as he spoke, hating to see the once proud Edward reduced to this. If he was this beaten down a few weeks in, imagine if he did stay with her for twenty years. He would be changed.

"Don't tell Bella you saw me." Edward heard himself demand, "It's too much. Just…please take care of her. Make Alice take her shopping and…make her go outside and breathe the air…."

He trailed off, knowing Bella was suffering as greatly as he was. That was the most hateful part of this damn sentence. If Bella could forget all about him and have her memories of him erased, maybe Edward could bear this.

"Okay, Edward, I get it." Emmett put a hand on his brother's shoulder. He leaned down and picked up the leather jacket, carefully putting it back on Edward's arms and raising it up onto his shoulders, smoothing it a little.

With a small breath of laughter, Emmett looked at Edward's face in the mirror reflection, seeing the outfit Victoria had made him wear.

"I should tell her not to waste her time." Emmett said softly, smirking, "I've been trying to make you cool for 90 years and have gotten nowhere."

With a grin, Edward turned around and looked up to face his brother, muttering, "Jerk."

Emmett embraced his smaller brother again, this time more gently, watching out for his back. Edward returned the hug, smiling, saying, "You're my brother."

"Ditto." Emmett's voice almost broke, not one for this sappy emotional stuff, but Edward seemed so alone – more so than he ever was before Bella came into his life.

"You're not alone, Edward." Emmett wanted him to know, "We're all with you, everyday. Even if it doesn't seem like it."

Edward inhaled the scent of Emmett's shirt, finding Bella in it, a subtle little aroma. He nearly cried, breaking away suddenly and looking down at his boots, mumbling, "You should go."

"Are you sure ?"

Squinting in confusion, Edward found himself crabby again.

"No, don't go," he mocked, "Come home with Victoria and I and we can have bunk beds in the basement together, I'm sure she won't mind."

"Thirst again." Emmett smirked back down at his brother, "You'd better find something to eat soon or that attitude's gonna burst open on some poor person."

"I know." Edward's eyes looked sorry as he replied to Emmett.

"Be good. I'll come find you again in a few days." Emmett started to turn towards the bathroom door, about to leave.

"Wait." Edward grabbed the big arm, hating to see him leaving already, but then said, "Victoria's been thinking that she wants to start roaming all over the place with me, like she used to do with James. She rents this house we're in now, but she hates staying in one place for long. If we're not here, look for a clue – I'll leave you something to let you know where to find me."

"Okay, bro, don't worry." Emmett mussed Edward's hair, "I'll find you no matter where you go – plus there's Alice."

"Oh yea." Edward almost forgot.

"See you soon Ed." Emmett gave Edward's cheek a playful slap, forcing himself to go out the bathroom door.

See next chapter soon!

Love WinndSinger

PS What do you guys think Edward should do now ? He wants your advice, seeing as he's all alone in the men's room, afraid to go out into the club again.


	8. Chapter 8

A few times Edward tried to open the men's room door and venture out into the blaringly loud dance party on the other side, but the scent of the blood was just too great; hundreds of different flavors mixing into one burning vapor in the air.

With his fingers clutching at his hair, he preferred to sit on the cool concrete floor near the sink pipes, letting his head tap gently on the porcelain as he tried to think of a way out. Blackmail…what dirt could he get on Victoria to make her let him go? Actually, she was covered with dirt, but nothing the Volturi could nail her for. Damn, he was too thirsty to even THINK straight anymore.

He read Victoria's mind again, checking that she wasn't coming for him. Still doing lines of cocaine with her mortal men friends, thoughts of Edward lost to her right now. Good.

Thoughts of humans he had killed decades ago were crystal clear in his vampire memory. They had been murderers, like himself, but that didn't kill the guilt of what he used to be. He had to admit, human blood would be heavenly now – if only it wouldn't mean that he failed and let down everyone important in his life.

The door burst open at this, and Edward jumped, slamming his marble head on the tile wall behind him, looking at the open doorway, the silhouette of a woman standing there alone.

"Is this the ladies' room?" a confused desperate sounding voice asked, almost pleaded.

"Men's room." Edward almost growled his response, knowing the open door meant the scent of blood was wafting back into this room. This had been his sanctuary and now it was going to be contaminated.

"Well, sorry." She frowned, slamming the door behind her as she came in, "I have been searching in vein all night for the damn ladies' room and frankly, I don't think they even have one. I'm using this one. Don't listen if you're squeamish."

She was very cute, Edward noticed from afar, not getting up from where he sat, she looked like a 30 year old Meg Ryan, wearing a little black dress, the long blonde curls bouncing as she walked to one of the stalls, closing and locking it behind her. And her attitude reminded him a little of Bella's – although he would never envision her going into a men's room and making such an announcement.

Closing his eyes tight, he rubbed his temples and held his breath as he trembled. Her scent was extremely nice – baby powder, cotton candy and cherries. He began to work some complex physics theories out in his head as he endured her presence, praying to God she'd hurry and get out fast.

She was talking to him from her stall but he didn't want to hear her, didn't even want to read her thoughts. He was drowning fast here and if she didn't get out in the next 30 seconds, he'd lose what little control he had.

"My friends talked me into coming here tonight but I am not the club type." She was saying, "I have two little babies at home, I should be with them, not here trying to find some new loser to hook up with."

"Please get out." Edward heard himself growl as his breath panted harder.

The stall door opened then, the sound of the toilet flushing, and she looked at the young kid on the floor closer now. He was so pale, shaking, eyes closed and rocking in almost a fetal position. Drugs?

"Are you okay ?" she tilted her head to the right, slipping her shoes off; the high heeled pumps killing her toes. It felt good for her to let her stocking feet press against the cold hard floor. For Edward, this only intensified her scent and his thirst.

"GOD" Edward bit down hard, forcing his teeth shut, praying she wouldn't come over and use the sink now, "PLEASE GO AWAY!"

"Are you sick ?" She was coming closer, not sure what she could do, but knowing she couldn't leave this cute kid here alone. What if he died or something? The guilt would never go away. Being a mother herself, she could not leave someone else's child alone like this.

The teenager's eyes opened, revealing two dark eyes, filled with fear as they saw how close she was.

"NO !" he screamed so loud it almost hurt her chest to hear it.

"GET OUT !" he screamed, "DON'T TOUCH ME !"

"Shhhh." She put her hands up, stopping herself from getting any closer, truly concerned about him, "I won't touch you, I promise. Calm down."

He could read her thoughts again, she wished she had a cell phone to call 911 or any kind of training for this sort of thing. All she had were maternal instincts and caring on her side. She hoped it would be enough to help this cute little boy.

Shutting her kind thoughts off, he clenched his eyes tight again, his fists buried in his stomach as he rocked back and forth, muttering some kind of math equations to himself.

"Hey, it's okay." Her voice floated around him like a soft blanket. She was sitting on the cold floor a few feet away, keeping the distance she promised him to. But she wasn't leaving, that much was clear. Edward kept seeing himself pouncing upon her, biting, drinking. Her little children would never see their Mommy again.

"GO AWAY !" Edward glared at her with full anger in his eyes, hoping to scare her out. He thought of calling her some horrible names but even now, he couldn't make himself do it. Always the gentleman, he heard Bella's voice teasing him.

"Please…" his voice whimpered now, almost begging her to leave, his eyes dropping their angry shield and turning to pure heartache.

"Shhhhh." She tried to soothe with the gentlest of voices, "Let me have someone come in here and help you, you look like you're hurting."

"NO !" he groaned out loud, "Leave me alone."

"Okay, forget that." She waved at the door, "Let me help. What hurts ?"

_**What DOESN'T hurt? **_Edward wanted to answer. But instead, he said nothing. She was inching closer and closer, thinking he didn't notice. His breaths were hard and raspy – she was being drawn in….she was going to die right here on the bathroom floor.

"Please go away" Edward whispered, his tortured eyes almost glowing with fear and pain, "I'm fine…really. I swear."

"I don't believe you." She kept her voice tender but knowing there was something deeply wrong.

"Don't be afraid." She held one hand up, rising up to a sink on the end, turning the faucet and wetting some paper towels, squeezing them a bit, then crawling slowly towards him.

"Relax." She soothed, "I won't hurt you. I promise."

_**I wish I could promise the same.**_

Making contact, she gently placed the wet paper towels against the left side of his face, her other hand touching the boy's forehead. She gasped, saying, "You are like ice. And you're white as a ghost."

That was it – she touched him, she was too close to him. He felt so sick inside and said in a low voice to her, "I am truly sorry, Meghan. I will make sure your children are taken good care of."

"What?" she was about to ask but she never got to say it.

He pounced on her instantly, grabbing her wrist into one hand, the other hand turned her around, her back resting on his chest as he held her chin, turning her face away as he crunched his hungry teeth into that wrist, hearing her scream as he swallowed mouthfuls of hot thick sweetness.

Her legs kicked out in protest but her body was going nowhere, the wet paper towels fell to the floor as she tried to struggle even now, staring at the discarded shoes nearby as he gulped her down, each swallow stealing more of her life away.

"no, please…" she mumbled weakly as her strength slipped away, "don't hurt…my babies…"

Edward wanted to sob out loud at the heart wrenching last words she'd spoken. But he was too weak, he couldn't stop now if he wanted to.

He snapped out of it – blinking as she wiped his face with the damp paper towels now.

"Were you drinking tonight ?" she asked gently, not judging him, only trying to find out what was wrong.

"I wish." He heard himself reply, smiling a bit at his private joke. NOT drinking was what was wrong with him.

The vision of him drinking her had scared him just enough to stay strong for another moment or two. She had to get out of here now.

"I'm fine now." Edward said flatly, taking the paper towels from her hand without touching it, "Thank you."

"Are you here with someone else?" she wasn't buying it, "You look very pale and you're ice cold. You should maybe go to the hospital and get checked out real quick."

He started shaking again. Her sweet concern was more potent than the smell of her blood, as strong as that was.

"Please…" he heard his voice and hated how weak it sounded, "You're so close…"

He didn't know if she'd take offense at this statement or not, but he saw that shouting GO AWAY wasn't working.

"Oh, sorry." She sat on the bathroom floor and moved a few inches away from him.

_**Great. That helps, thanks, a few inches between us will keep me from you.**_

"Just breathe." She soothed from her spot, staring into his eyes. He tried to look away, afraid she would see too much.

His breathing was too fast and hard, she noticed, something was happening again inside him.

"Do you need to throw up or something?" she guessed, prepared to get out of the way if he needed to run to the toilets behind her. Actually, this handsome kid throwing up on her would probably be the nicest thing that happened to her tonight, she chuckled to herself.

Edward's eyes sparked for a second. Good idea, get away from her. This was his chance to break out of his little corner she had him boxed into and put some more distance between them. Maybe she'd be so disgusted she'd leave this room then.

"Yes." Edward moaned, leaping up and making himself jog at human speed to the farthest stall on the right, slamming the door and locking it behind him.

He trembled harder, his hands pressed on both sides of the stall walls as he stared down at the toilet water below, waiting for her to go away and take her smelly blood with her. His throat was burning. The venom was pooling in his mouth at the back of his tongue.

He made noises, guttural savage sounds that did not sound like a human vomiting. The demon was waking up inside him, so thirsty that even Edward could hardly hold him back anymore.

"Poor thing." Her voice was outside the stall door, very close, "I remember the first time I drank like that. I never did it twice, I can tell you that much."

He closed his eyes, begging, almost in a whisper, "Why won't you leave ?"

It's like she WANTED him to drink her.

The men's room door opened suddenly and the voice of the blonde woman spoke to the new person coming in.

"This is the men's room." She informed, "But you're welcome to use this one if you want."

Edward's eyes widened as he heard Victoria's thoughts. It was her. NO !

He spun and whipped his stall door open, staring her down with a hard unyielding glare.

"Oh, how are you doing, honey?" the blonde spoke to Edward now, afraid to invade his space as she seemed to do earlier on the floor.

The blonde looked at Victoria in the doorway and explained, "He's not feeling very well."

"He drinks too much." Victoria raised a brow at Edward.

_**Nice work, Edward, I underestimated you. **_Victoria thought to him.

"I thought that was it, but he said no." the blonde shrugged, looking at Edward closer now.

"He's my little brother." Victoria informed the blonde, then said to Edward, "I think it's time we took you home to sleep it off, Edward."

"No !" Edward gritted through his teeth.

_**Don't even think about it, Victoria, we're leaving here – alone. I'm not feeding on her or anyone else for that matter. I'm going hunting right now and if I have to, I'll drink squirrels!**_

"Edward." The blonde was glad to know his name, it would help her ease his mind, "Your sister is right, you should get into your own bed and be comfortable."

"You don't understand…" Edward sighed, shooting Victoria another look as the blonde curled her hands around Edward's right leather arm, easing him out of the stall.

"Don't know how we're going to get home, though." Victoria frowned slightly, "We got a ride here and they left without us. I'd hate to walk him home like this, it'll take us forever."

"I can drive you home." The blonde offered right away, "I'll be glad to have an excuse to get out of here anyway."

"No, we have a car, don't listen to her." Edward breathed, her touch on his arm making him even weaker and his legs felt like jello as he tried to walk.

Victoria laughed, sounding surprised. "He always fantasizes he has this nice sports car when he's drunk. He's just got his license and doesn't even have a job yet. Kids…"

"Come on, Eddie.", Victoria grabbed his jacket and yanked him with her out of the men's room door, "Stop being so rude, this nice lady wants to help make you all better."

The music and noise from the humans in the club now made it impossible for the blonde woman to hear a thing Edward could say to stop this. And now the heated air filled with blood silenced him for good. He needed blood now. He thought he'd fall over soon if he didn't drink soon.

"Let me go tell my friends I'm leaving first." The blonde was about to move when Victoria shoved Edward down on his face suddenly.

"Oh my God, he's passing out." Victoria helped Edward up as the blonde helped, putting his right arm around her shoulders, propping him up and leading them to her car in the parking lot.

She forgot all about telling her friends anything when this boy needed her help so badly. Victoria smiled at Edward knowingly. This was falling right into place.

"It's okay, Edward." She opened her car door, moving the front seat forward to let the teenager lay down in the back seat.

"I'd better sit back here with him just in case." Victoria shoved him and sat directly behind the driver's seat.

"No Victoria…" he panted as the blonde closed the door and came around to get in the driver's seat, turning her key in the ignition.

"Please let me out." Edward tried to save the woman in spite of herself, adding, "I'm gonna be sick !"

She began to reach over to unlock the passenger side door and release the front seat blocking Edward in but Victoria stopped her.

"No he won't." she grabbed Edward's wrists, pushing him back into the seat, "He's fine, he just needs to get home."

"Okay," the blonde started driving fast, "Where do you live?"

"Please don't Victoria…please!" Edward's voice trembled, sounding afraid and pained.

"Shush Edward." Victoria tapped Edward's leather chest, "Turn right here onto the highway. Exit 12 is a few miles away, that's where we live."

"Okay." She peeked in the rear view mirror and saw Edward's eyes. They looked at Victoria with murderous rage. They looked a little alike, both having a reddish hair color and the pale skin. Red heads usually did have fair skin, she thought, but something felt weird. She never minded helping anyone but her gut was telling her something was wrong with these two.

"You alright Edward?" the blonde asked. It was almost like they were talking to each other silently with their eyes in the back seat.

"No." he sat up, "Megan, stop the car and get out---"

"Edward gets paranoid when he drinks." Victoria scowled at her younger brother, "Don't even listen to him, it's okay, keep going. We'll be home soon, Edward, don't worry."

"How did you know my name?" she asked, looking at Edward again in her mirror.

_**She is smart, she picked up my little clue.**_ Edward almost grinned to himself.

"Alright, Edward, fine." Victoria frowned, slipping off her leather belt and looping it around Megan's neck with one vampire swift motion, making her scream as it squeezed tightly around her throat, the car still moving.

"NO VICTORIA!" Edward yelled from his seat.

"Turn off to the right down here – there's a dirt road." Victoria demanded her driver. Megan trembled and tried not to cry, turning slowly on the dark road she was instructed to follow.

"Please don't kill me, I have children…please?" she whispered, shaking all over, knowing what going down this dirt road meant.

"Victoria, please." Edward blinked, his body weakening even more, "Let's just choose someone else."

"SHUT UP BOTH OF YOU!" Victoria sneered, "Weak pathetic SHITS! Go all the way down this road until I tell you to stop."

Edward smelled Megan's tears, salty and fresh as they ran down both her cheeks. What was worse was her thoughts.

They are going to kill me, Oh God! I can't believe this, why me?! Who's going to raise Jenny and Alex now? I'm gonna miss their whole lives now because once again I fell for the beautiful face of a stranger. DAMN IT ! Why do I keep trusting fucking people when all they do is hurt and use me? I hate this god damned world! The only good thing in it are my kids and now I've lost them, too.

Finally, at the end of the dirt road was a giant boulder.

"STOP." Victoria hissed as Megan turned off the engine, leaving the headlights on.

"Come." Victoria pulled the belt backwards, making her stumble back into the seat behind, in the middle between herself and Edward.

Edward pushed the front seat up hard, about to grab the door handle to get out when Victoria growled low and dangerously to him.

"Don't you fucking dare leave this car." She ordered, her eyes burning into his as he turned to her, trying to defy her.

Megan was trying to struggle, reaching her hands to the leather belt around her neck but Victoria tightened it even more, making her victim choke for air, gasping hard.

"Come Edward." Victoria stared him down, "Kiss her and I'll let her breathe a little."

"Please don't do this Victoria." Edward shivered, watching Megan's body arch and buck as her lungs were denied air. One of her little hands grabbed at Edward's jacket, mindlessly grasping at anything.

"Stop fighting it and do what you need to do." Victoria made her voice calm, "Now."

Megan's face was almost blue when Edward gave in a bit and leaned in, kissing a gentle soft kiss onto Megan's tight clenched mouth. Victoria gave Megan a little air at this, as she promised. Panting hard, Megan's eyes were round with horror as she stared up at Edward, who was coming in for another kiss, touching her hair.

Closing his eyes, he made himself believe he was kissing Bella. It wasn't hard, Megan was soft and warm like her, the heart pounding away its quick rhythm as he placed small kiss after small kiss into her quivering mouth.

"Good boy, Edward." Victoria sounded like a pleased teacher.

"No, Edward.." Megan began to whimper for her life as Edward opened his mouth, touching her tongue softly with his icy one.

Victoria strangled the words from Megan as she tightened the belt a bit more, making the girl's face redden; the blood gathering there.

"Take your time, Edward." Victoria smiled, getting aroused from watching him this way, no longer fighting her, "It's been a long time since you've had this. Enjoy it."

"Touch her." Victoria held the belt with one hand and with the other, stroked over the black material that covered Megan's right breast, making her cry out in protest.

"It's okay, come on…" Victoria grabbed Edward's hand, placing it there, "There is nothing wrong with this…it's so natural. Sex and blood go hand in hand, Edward."

Megan started to cry at this and Edward yanked away suddenly, in a half second he was out of the car, darting up to a tree branch overhead.

Coming out of the car with Megan in tow, she flung the human body up on the hood of the car, flat on her back.

"Come here now Edward." Victoria called with a hard line to her voice, "I know you can't go too far away from this blood now that it's here. And don't make me use the Bella word again."

In a second, Edward landed like a cat on his feet beside Victoria, staring down at the writhing woman before him.

"Here." Victoria used her fingernail to make a small little cut near the jugular vein of Megan's neck, sitting her up under Edward's face, putting the slowly oozing blood drops right up to his lips.

"Drink, Edward." Victoria smoothed his hair, gently moving him towards it, "It's okay. She's yours."

His mind was numb, all he knew was how thirsty he was and that there was blood right there. Leaning in an inch more put the blood right on his lips, burning them with their heat as he tasted it, licking his mouth as Megan's voice cried softly and beautifully close by.

"That's it…" Victoria watched him closely, knowing he needed these hard lessons to free him of the guilt Carlisle had placed in him all those years. It was cruel, Victoria thought, making a vampire feel like a murderer just for feeding.

He was kissing Megan's neck, drinking the little drops of blood that cut would produce, but now it was time for him to bite in and get it all. Victoria knew that would take some doing on her part.

"Good isn't it?" Victoria purred, stroking Edward's hair affectionately, getting a silent nod from her student. He was even too weak to glare at her anymore and she was glad for that.

"Want more?" she offered, smiling as he kissed her cut deeper, not getting any more blood there.

"Bite in." she said softly, going easy with Edward now. It seemed to be working.

Hesitating, he gave a whimper and a groan, his hands firmly on Megan's hips.

"I can't do everything for you, now, Edward." Victoria soothed, "If you want more, you have to bite. Come on, feed yourself. It's alright."

Edward stared into Megan's crying, frightened eyes and tilted his head, as if admiring her, and let out a hard cold breath, opening his lips, coming back slowly to her jugular, resting his soft cool lips upon it and let his eyes close.

See next chapter soon!

WinndSinger

Sorry, I hate myself for doing that to you – but now I have to think what comes next! EVIL LAUGH !


	9. Chapter 9

"That's it baby." Victoria purred softer as Edward's lovely face looked so peaceful now, about to bite down and enter her world. Maybe this Edward would be more fun for her and as much as she hated to admit it, he had kinda grown on her these last few weeks.

Megan was screaming louder as she realized what was happening, wondering how the hell she got sucked into this little scene.

Please – Edward – please don't ! I liked you ! I trusted you ! I know you don't want to do this, that's why you shouted at me at the club !

Megan's mind was trying to beg Edward for her life, and the chance to see her children grow up. Flashes of the children's faces were everywhere in her head. But the horrible thing is that Edward found for a moment he didn't care. He wanted this, he starved for this. Nothing could move him away from her now. Or so he had thought at the moment.

"Go on…bite down and you will taste the greatest thing in the world." Victoria was selling it a little over the top and didn't need to. Edward remembered how fulfilling human blood was from his past.

"Edward." Megan whimpered, sobbing as she started praying in her mind, accepting her fate of death.

He really wanted her blood, needed it right now. But something inside him was stronger than the thirst. He was surprised at himself.

"No." Edward said simply, taking a small breath and one step back from Megan.

Megan wept, now in utter relief with a gleam of hope on her horizon. Her eyes shined large thank yous to his. But, of course, there was still Victoria.

"Edward" Victoria tried to keep her rage controlled, "Right now or I call for Bella in the morning."

"That's not going to work anymore, Victoria." Edward shot daggers back at her eyes with his, "I know it's me you really want, not her. And if you try doing that, I'll take Bella and run. You'll never find us."

"I thought you might pull something like this." She smirked, proud of herself for having a plan B, "So I invited a few friends along to help a bit. Come out, boys."

With a hiss, three large men slowly walked out from the cover of the trees into the clearing towards them. They were all young, muscular, long hair and beards – Victoria's type. Worse, they were newborn vampires with glowing red eyes, certain to do her bidding. Each one of them stronger and more well fed than Edward.

"No…" Megan tried to stifle a cry of fear as they stood beside Victoria.

Edward was nervous for Megan, newborns could not control their appetite this close to a human. He had to get her out of here now.

"I so wanted you to drink your first human on your own, Edward." Victoria looked truly disappointed, "You were so close, too. But either way, you're feeding tonight. Take her." She added to her newborns, referring to Megan.

Giving Victoria a hard shove, Edward flung Megan over his shoulder and leapt on the top of the car, springing onto a nearby tree, crawling up the side with very little effort.

Megan let out a shriek of terror at her sudden predicament, clinging her arms tight around Edward's neck. He was glad he didn't HAVE to breathe, or he'd be in real trouble now.

"GET HIM !" Victoria screeched her orders to her vampires as they instantly obeyed, smiling and following up into the high trees.

Reaching the top of the tree he was on now, Edward paused to think over his options and which would be the best strategy.

"Edward !", Megan clung on with a death grip, breathing hard behind him, "They're coming !"

"Hang on." Edward leapt, almost flew, to a tree far from the one they began with. In mid leap, the new vampire with long black hair and a goatee pounced on Edward, throwing them back as they started to descent in a free fall.

Spinning like a true magical creature, Edward held Megan in his arms bridal-style and landed on his feet, now on top of a boulder.

"Oh my God." Megan trembled, seeing Edward's eyes look into hers with concern.

"You alright?" he asked. God, he was beautiful, she couldn't help thinking, the blue moonlight glowing on his pale marble face.

"And I thought I wouldn't be having any fun tonight." She muttered, jokingly, getting a grin from the good vampire.

"It's not over yet." Edward smelled Victoria close by, leaping back into the trees, carrying her on his back, needing to see where each one of them were hiding.

Megan stayed quiet as they sneaked high on a branch. Not daring to look down, Megan stared at the back of Edward's hair, every strand perfect.

Edward knew he couldn't really hide from them, with a human on his back, a fresh cut on her neck. But he waited for them to approach him, thinking he might have a chance if he could fight them one by one. If they teamed up against him, he was dead.

Something tingled on the back of Edward's neck as he sensed one approaching and he didn't even need to turn before he heard Megan's screams amplified right in his ear.

A newborn with long blonde hair grabbed onto Megan's back, trying to bite her arm. Edward spun around, careful not to pull Megan too hard so she'd lose her arm, and took on this vampire head on, slamming him into a nearby tree.

The newborn blonde grinned back at Edward, not scared of his strength, and hurled Edward like a rag doll several yards away.

Flying backwards, Edward realized they were about to slam into another tree, and Megan was stuck to his back. She'd be crushed between the tree and the marble Edward. He spun around, letting his face and chest take the impact, splinters flying everywhere.

"Oh EDWARD" Megan thought he was hurt but then another vampire was upon them, shaking a stunned Edward out of the hole in the tree he was embedded in. Megan screamed, slipping off Edward's neck and sliding down the back of his jacket, clinging onto the belted hem, her feet dangling and slightly kicking.

Blinking back to life, Edward focused on the vampire in front of him, and then felt a horrible blow to the face, right below his left eye.

The vampire stuck him with his fist again, making his face jerk to the right.

"Edward !", Megan was struggling to hold on.

Without a word, Edward's hand reached down behind his back and found her hand, holding her at his side. With his other free hand he grabbed the vampire's wrist before him, stopping him from making any more punches to his face.

"Alright, enough of this crap." Victoria's voice was on the ground below, "Get the girl."

Two of the other newborns sprang up, grabbing Megan up with them. Edward had to let go of her hand or she would've surely lost it.

Edward watched them land near Victoria with Megan over one of their shoulders. She was kicking and trying to fight back, bruising her own hands as she punched the back of the one holding her.

"Don't even think about it, that's Edward's meal." Victoria warned them, calling to the last newborn who was now fighting hard with Edward.

"Bring him down here, let's finish this." She commanded.

Hating to admit it, the newborns were stronger than he was, being starved and weak as it was. The one with Edward didn't have much trouble bringing him to the ground.

"Hold him." Victoria sneered, the two vampires who weren't holding Megan leapt on him and forced him to his knees, each one grabbed an arm and braced him tight.

"I know how weak you are now, Edward." Victoria approached him, stroking his sweet face as he looked afraid again, his eyes wide, "All you have to do now is just smell her and you're ready to feed. Don't fight, my pet."

"Bring her." Victoria spoke to the third vampire, not taking her eyes off of Edward's.

The vampire easily yanked Megan over by her hair, standing her right in front of the kneeling Edward. Laughing, the vampire noticed her breasts were right in front of Edward's face and he shoved her closer, making Edward's face press into them as the rest of them laughed.

"Cut it out, Mark." Victoria grinned.

"Cut her throat." Victoria said to the one holding Megan's hair.

He raised a hand, about to put his fingernails into her neck when Megan screamed, closing her eyes and Edward shouted "NO !"

Just then, a large dark figure leapt from above, coming out of the trees and grabbing the one who had Megan. With a howl, the newborn vampire's arm was snapped off and tossed aside by the shadowed figure.

"Now what ?!" Victoria moved back, away from the saving figure, ordering her other two newborns after it.

They released Edward and he immediately reached his hand out for Megan, putting her onto his back and spiraling back up into a tree to get a better view of what was going on.

"No more trees!" Megan complained with a high pitched squeal.

"Wanna go back down there?" Edward raised a brow, glancing back at her.

"No thanks." She grumbled.

"Who was that?" she tried to see down into the darkness.

Edward smiled, seeing better with his eyes.

"That's my brother." Edward said proudly, watching Emmett fight the two vampires at once.

"Oh what a relief!" Megan was sarcastic, "Because your sister is such a saint!"

"She's not my sister." Edward corrected.

"Who is she then?"

"It's a long story." Edward was watching the fight closely, "But she kind of…owns me."

"Owns you?" Megan saw the humiliation in Edward's face and tried to joke, "How much were you? I would've loved to be there for that sale."

With a smirk, Edward changed the subject, "I have to get down there. Emmett's strong but he can't beat two of them alone."

"God, they're gonna get me." Megan mumbled to herself, not trying to keep Edward away if he needed to go.

"No they won't." Edward had an idea, "Run back to your car and drive as fast as you can – get yourself out."

"Okay." Megan liked that idea. Edward landed a few feet away from the car, out of sight of the others and said, "I'm truly sorry, Megan. I never wanted to hurt you."

"I know Edward." She wanted to say more but could only add, "Thank you."

She gave him a little hug but he broke away stiffly, apologizing with his eyes.

"I'm still thirsty." He explained, shrugging, ashamed of himself for still wanting her blood.

"I know." She backed away faster, "Good luck with your brother."

She got in the car, starting the engine and instantly peeling away, a little dirt cloud rising up as she began her escape.

When Edward reached the fight, Emmett had the blonde haired one in a headlock. The other one was pounding the back of Emmett's head with a thick tree branch.

Tackling the one with the tree branch, Edward took on this one for himself, freeing Emmett to continue his attack on the blonde.

Victoria was gone, Edward noticed before his opponent had him on the ground, rolling with him, shoving Edward's face into a little brook they nearly landed in.

He still fights human, Edward observed, vampires couldn't be drowned.

The sounds of Megan's screams made Edward's head resurface from the water suddenly. He looked up, seeing Megan's car from underneath. Before he could react, it had landed right on him with a crunch and a thud.

Moments later, it seemed to Edward, he was opening his eyes. Megan was crying quietly near him, he could hear.

"Sleeping beauty awakens." Emmett smirked weakly, looking down at his smaller brother.

"Huh?" Edward's brow furrowed, trying to realize what was going on.

Emmett was standing against a tree trunk, his wrists and ankles chained and held together with silver padlocks.

"Emmett!" Edward gasped, trying to move towards him, then he realized, he was chained to the very same tree trunk at Emmett's side.

"He's awake?" Megan's voice came from Edward's right hand side, a bit around the tree. She, too, was chained with them, a few cuts and bruises on her.

"Megan?" Edward looked even more afraid now, jerking on his chains to free himself.

"Don't even waste your time, bro." Emmett sighed at Edward, "I've tried 'em, they're silver, we're fucked."

"Where are they ?" Edward asked, looking for Victoria and the newborns.

"Went to feed while you were out." Emmett looked up to the skies, inhaling, "I smell them close by though. They're on the way back."

"What are they gonna do to us, Edward?" Megan kept calm, facing this bravely.

Reading Victoria's mind, it wasn't hard to hear what she had in mind.

"They're going to burn us." Edward stated, making Megan cry out.

Emmett frowned at his brother, "TSK – Jesus, Edward!"

"She ASKED me!" he defended.

"Well that doesn't mean you have to tell her – just like THAT!" Emmett rolled his eyes.

"Sorry Megan." Edward turned to her, ashamed again, "They want to burn us. How's that ?"

"Putz." Emmett sighed to himself.

Victoria was striding up to them in minutes, smiling widely at Edward's expression as she approached.

Megan's car was nearby, crushed and empty. The newborns carried armfuls of firewood. The one armed newborn only carried a container of gasoline, setting it down on the ground as he scowled at Emmett.

"Edward, you woke up." Victoria tilted her head a bit, smiling more, "Good. I didn't want you to miss this."

"Victoria…" he began to try and beg for Emmett's and Megan's lives.

"Shut up!" she shouted, "You could've been mine and had a full, wild life. But no, you had to be stubborn and keep fighting with me. Well, congratulations, I get it now. You'll never be mine. You'll always be what you are now. Boring, safe, sensible little Edward. I don't want you anymore. And just since you love your little human friend more than you even want to tolerate ME, you can watch her burn before you, along with your precious brother who was too dumb to stay away from you."

"Hey, I resent that." Emmett cut in, "I am not precious."

"Gas them up." Victoria waved to her newborn servants.

They tossed the mangled pieces of trees all around them, at their feet, going all around the base of the tree, the other with the gas can pouring it on each of them, from head to toe, ignoring their groans and Megan's screams.

"Any last words?" Victoria enjoyed drawing this out as long as she could to torment them.

"I have some last words, for you, Victoria." Emmett grinned, dripping with gasoline, "Two words, actually. Guess what they are."

"Emmett –" Edward breathed, looking at Victoria, "Look, burn me it you must, you're allowed to do that, but killing Emmett is a crime against the Volturi. The same crime that gave me to YOU."

She let a laugh escape her lips, flicking her lighter playfully, only a couple sparks erupted from it as all three of the chained victims jumped every time she flicked it.

"What do I care?" she asked, "There are no witnesses. The Volturi can't touch me."

Carlisle's voice came from a few feet away. "Not so, Victoria."

She turned, watching Carlisle walk peacefully over to them from behind a tree.

"Daddy!" Emmett cooed, smiling in relief.

"Get back!" Victoria lit the lighter, holding it up near Edward's face. Not enough to set him ablaze yet, but another inch forward would do it.

"I know this one's your firstborn." Victoria threatened Carlisle as he stopped walking, staring at her sternly.

"I know he's your favorite." Victoria informed, "Take one more step and he's done!"

Edward blew out the flame from the lighter and Megan let out a laugh at this, but in a half second Volturi guards sprang out, grabbing Victoria and her newborns, wrestling them to the ground and placing silver cuffs on their wrists behind their backs.

"All secure, Lord Aro." One of the Volturi guards reported as Victoria and her vampires were stood up, in shackles, ready to face the slowly approaching Aro.

He shook his head at the vampires with his guards.

"We have one law." Aro sounded disappointed, but calm, "One little law and no one seems to be able to obey it."

"I am so lost." Megan shook her head, mumbling as Edward smiled at her, letting her know it was looking good for them now.

"Aro, my friend." Carlisle smiled a bit, "I thank you for coming here with us to see this for yourself. I know it is a great inconvenience."

"You have done many things for me, Carlisle, over the years." Aro informed, "I'm glad now I have a reason to help you with your request. I could not release your son from his sentence as you first asked me when we met again weeks ago, even though your arguments were many and lengthy, but, now that I see this, I may be able to amend your Edward's sentence a bit."

"Amend." Emmett looked at Edward, "You're dead."

"No, no…" Aro chuckled at Emmett's comment, "Don't be alarmed, I have three choices for your young Edward. He can choose."

"Yes, Aro." Edward bowed his head a bit, grateful that he had some options finally. This was never done for any vampire. He knew he owed this to Carlisle and partly, to Victoria, for her slip up.

"First choice :" Aro began, "Since Victoria will be sentenced to death for this crime, and since you belong to her, you will also be sentenced to death."

"I like that one." Victoria remarked but was slapped across the face hard by the guard near her, sending her down hard without another word.

"Continue." Edward wasn't counting that out yet. If the other two options weren't good, he might just choose death.

Second choice:" Aro paced in front of the chained brothers and human, "You belong to the Volturi and will do great things for us there with your many talents."

Carlisle looked at Edward with a strange look, as if he wanted him to choose this one. Edward kept his stone face rigid and wondered what the last choice was.

"And?" Edward waited.

"You won't want this last choice, young Edward, it's too horrible." Aro winced, just thinking about it.

"I'd like to hear it anyway, if it pleases you." Edward kept his voice respectful.

"Are you sure you don't want choice 2 ?" Aro grinned.

"I like to know all my options before choosing anything." Edward replied honestly.

"I guess you should tell it to him, then, Aro." Carlisle looked nervous.

"Alright." Aro shrugged, "You will be given to another, to learn her ways and teachings and Edward, if you choose this, it's not for only 20 years, it will be forever."

"Who will I be given to ?" Edward frowned, _**God, not Tanya or Jane – no, no, I'd rather die with Victoria, **_he thought in peril_**.**_

"Some nobody, a lower life form…" Aro took out a little black book and read the name, "Isabella….Swan. Some mortal who lives in a little swamp town called Forks."

Aro looked up at Edward and couldn't keep the smile from growing on his lips, watching young Edward's eyes sparkle to life again in that one second.

"Aww." Emmett felt himself get misty eyed.

Carlisle smiled at Edward, almost glowing as his son dripped with gasoline but never looked more happy in his entire existence. He could hardly speak and he tried several times.

"He's speechless." Aro chuckled with Carlisle.

"Is this a joke?" Edward finally found his voice but it was skeptical. It was too good to be true, he knew they were joking and that just killed him even more.

"Young Edward!" Aro feigned being insulted, "I am many things but cruel I am not."

Edward raised a brow, knowing that was baloney.

"Alright, I am cruel sometimes." Aro admitted, "But I am completely serious. Make your choice, young Edward Cullen."

He breathed out loud, a huge smile on his face. Emmett thought he looked positively goofy.

"Are you kidding?" Edward half laughed, half panted, "Choice 3 !"

"He chose the worst one, Carlisle." Aro smirked at his friend.

"He's a glutton for punishment." Carlisle shrugged.

"Alright, I hereby sentence you, Edward Cullen, to lifetime servitude to mortal Isabella Swan." Aro handed Carlisle the paper after he signed off on it, putting a hand on Edward's shoulder, "You poor thing you."

Edward beamed as he almost danced in his chains against the tree.

"Take these vile creatures back to Italy for their sentences to be carried out." Aro turned to the guards holding Victoria and her minions.

Edward looked at her face as they took her away – no words were exchanged between then but the emotions in their faces said it all.

Almost looking sorry for her, Edward glared back. All she gave him was hatred and anger for him not being what she wanted. That look melted a bit right before they pulled her away, and became a hint of sadness. Then she was gone.

Looking down, Edward heard Emmett say, "And where does she get it that you're Carlisle's favorite, anyway?"

One of the Volturi guards stayed back a minute to help free the chains from the trio around the tree.

"Let it go, Emmett." Edward rolled his eyes, watching while the guard went to help Megan first.

"I guess this means we're not dieing today?" Megan looked happy but still confused.

"Not today." Edward smiled back brightly.

"Oh, Megan." Carlisle came over to take her hand as she was freed from her chains, "I've heard all about you from Alice. I am so sorry for all you went through tonight. I can't tell you how much I appreciate your caring for my son."

"Oh." She blushed a little, making Edward hurt to think of Bella when he was still so far away from her.

"No problem." Megan said to Carlisle, "He's a very sweet…person. I'm just glad he didn't kill me."

"Me too." Edward watched as the guard began to work on Emmett's chains.

"I will have Emmett take you home right away, if that's alright." Carlisle offered, "The truth is, you should go before Edward is released from his chains. We still have to feed him, he's near starving."

"Oh, I'm fine, Carlisle." Edward tried to forget his thirst now that his life was back.

"Not another word, Edward." Carlisle looked at him strictly.

"Yes, father." Edward gave in, making Megan laugh.

"Can I say goodbye to him?" Megan asked Carlisle.

"Briefly, yes." Carlisle walked with her as she neared Edward.

"This is good." Carlisle stopped her a few inches away from his chained up son.

"This is weird." Edward smiled, truly smiled and Megan was hypnotized by the beauty of it.

"This whole night has been weird." She giggled, "But in a good way. Thank you for…resisting. I know it was real hard for you. I'm glad everything turned out good for you in the end."

"Thank you Megan." Edward smiled at her, "You were the one friend I had tonight, when I didn't deserve any. And please don't offer to drive any more strangers home. You're too nice for your own good."

"No, don't worry." She laughed, "I won't. I'm staying home with my kids from now on, until they graduate college."

"Don't give up on that fairy tale." Edward read her thoughts, "It'll happen. It always does for girls like you."

"Right." She looked down at herself, wet with gasoline, wishing she looked nicer. Edward looked even hotter covered with it.

"Bye Edward." She grinned, waving, sad that she couldn't give him one last hug goodbye.

"Bye Megan." He smiled, turning as Emmett stepped out of his chains, ready to take her home.

They walked away, Emmett glancing at her car as they went.

"At least you can get a new car now." Emmett informed, "Your old one sucked."

"Hey, I worked five summers to buy that car." She argued.

"For a two door Ford Escort?" Emmett asked loudly, "Why?"

Edward laughed as they faded into the trees.

"At least I know what to get her now for helping me." Edward said in a low voice, "You think she'd like a Porsche or a Ferrari better?"

"News bulletin to all car dealers" Carlisle teased, "Edward Cullen is home!"

"Don't unchain him yet, please." Carlisle said to the Volturi guard, "He needs to feed first."

"I will." Edward started to argue but Carlisle cut him off, "I want us to wait until Megan is out of range first. I'm not taking any chances."

"But I want to go home now!" Edward almost pleaded like a child on Christmas morning.

"Not yet." Carlisle said, kicking away the firewood around Edward's feet, "You're very lucky, do you know that? You could've been killed."

"I know what you must've gone through to get me back home, Carlisle." Edward said in a deep voice, looking into his father's eyes with such deep love, "I'll never forget it, ever. I love you, Dad."

"I love you, too, son." Carlisle mussed Edward's wet, oily gasoline hair, then winced as he smelled it.

Edward laid his head back on the tree trunk, closing his eyes as he pictured himself knocking on Bella's door, hoping Charlie didn't answer it.

Before he could get past that part of his dream, the smell of fressias and lavender filled the air all around him. His throat burned more than it had before and he jerked his head up, seeing Carlisle spin around to the north side of the forest.

"That's BELLA!" Edward almost shouted, then smiled from ear to ear, "BELLA, WE'RE OVER HERE !!"

"No, no, no…" Carlisle shoved Edward's shoulders back against the tree, "This is not a good idea, you haven't fed for nearly six weeks !"

"I don't care !" Edward frowned at him, then called again, "BELLA !!"

"I'm gonna kill Alice !" Carlisle fumed as he saw Alice running towards them first.

"ALICE" Edward was struggling against his chains, looking for Bella, "Where's Bella ?!"

"Ooh, Edward," Alice looked him over, wet and in chains, "I like it."

"Right there." Alice pointed as a little figure came running from the darkness, slight moonlight dancing across her.

"EDWARD !" the beautiful voice squealed as Edward's entire body seemed to glow, bouncing up and down within his chains.

"BELLA!" he screamed happily, wishing she had vampire speed to get to him faster.

She was almost to the tree when Carlisle caught her in his arms, stopping her.

"CARLISLE!" Edward and Bella screamed at the same time in anger.

"Carlisle, JEEZ" Alice scolded, "Way to screw up a beautiful moment!"

"How screwed up will it be when Edward bites into her while she's hugging him?" Carlisle asked in his own defense.

"He won't." Alice smiled wide, "I brought him all the blood he wants from the hospital blood bank."

"Well he drinks it first, then I'll let Bella go near him." Carlisle stated.

"Oh, Carlisle," Alice made him let her go, "Edward has control of himself."

"We'll watch in case he starts to lose it." Alice bargained.

"Alright." He finally let Bella go completely.

"YES" Edward beamed as Bella charged towards the tree, throwing her arms around his wet neck and kissing Edward's lips, small kisses over and over, trailing them over his closed eyes and nose, down his cheeks, back to his mouth again…

"I'm. Never. Going. To. Stop. Kissing. You." Bella said each word between each kiss.

Edward was kissing her back with equal passion, in between his kisses, saying, "I'm so sorry I left you. I'll never do it again."

"You can't." Bella kept kissing him, grabbing his wet hair with both hands, "You officially belong to me now forever."

"Yep." Carlisle grinned at their sweet love, "I have the paper to prove it."

"We have to frame that." Alice took it, reading it over with a smile.

Bella was going wild, kissing down his neck now. He stunk like gas but she didn't care.

"I like you chained up this way." Bella teased, "You can't push me off."

"I don't want to push you off." Edward replied honestly, groaning because his lips couldn't reach hers while she kissed his neck.

"What's this?" Bella smiled, touching the lion's claw around his neck.

"Oh God, please rip that off me." Edward forgot it was there and he hated it being around his neck.

"Really?" Bella asked.

"Yes, please, tear it off." He looked as if it was hurting him to have it around his neck so she plucked it off.

"Throw it far away." Edward breathed a sigh of relief.

"You've seen me in gym, I can't throw anything far away." Bella answered, making Edward laugh and smile at her as if she were the most precious jewel in the world.

"I love you Isabella Swan." He looked drunk for a moment, smiling at her, in awe.

"I love you, Edward Cullen." She grabbed the chains crossed over his chest and kissed his half bare chest right above where the chains were, making him moan out loud.

"ALICE" Edward's eyes widened, "BLOOD NOW. Bella, move away!"

"I told you!" Carlisle hurried up and gently held Bella, moving her back away from him.

Bella didn't struggle, knowing Edward was very weak and needed this more than her kisses at the moment.

"Okay, Edward, hang on." Alice opened her bag as Edward panted heavily, staring at Bella's face with a deep hunger she never saw that intense before.

"Move it, Alice!" Carlisle watched helplessly as Edward's eyes were squinting in pain.

"Here you go…here you go." Alice held up a huge sports bottle with a straw sticking out of it, putting it to Edward's lips.

He sucked it up hungrily, his voice moaning out in relief as his eyes closed, swallowing and sucking.

"Take it slow, Edward." Carlisle advised, "Don't make yourself sick. Take it easy."

Bella watched, realizing this was the first time she got to see him drink blood. She wasn't sure if it was right or not, but she was happy to see him so content, getting what he needed and thirsted for all this time. The color slowly came back to his cheeks a bit more. He wasn't rosy faced like a human, but he looked more like himself than before.

Finally, he sucked that bottle dry, the sucking sound against the empty bottom of the bottle signaling Alice.

She took the bottle away and Edward growled, "MORE." Almost like an animal, with no patience or hint of his usual polite manner.

"Coming." Alice didn't take any offense, knowing how Edward was feeling.

Panting, Edward looked at Bella and winced, looking at Carlisle.

She was sitting on the grass with Carlisle close at her side, watching this.

"Edward feels bad you have to see him like this, Bella." Carlisle said softly, knowing his son's facial expressions too well.

"Don't, Edward." Bella looked at him, "You've seen me eat. It's no big deal. Keep eating until you're okay again. I'm not scared."

In his frenzy, he shivered and choppily groaned, "I love you Bella."

"I love you, too, you goofball." She smiled, tears in her eyes that he was really coming home.

"Here." Alice stuck the straw into his mouth again and he moaned, gulping it down again with ferocious speed, closing his eyes.

"See, he's starved himself for so long that now he truly can't stop drinking until he's full." Carlisle explained, "If he had killed a human tonight, just her blood wouldn't be enough. He'd have to keep going and going until he was completely saturated. It would've been a bloodbath."

"He was strong to have resisted that tonight, being in that club." Alice commented, Edward was so lost in drinking that he couldn't even hear any of them at the moment.

"Why does he look like it hurts?" Bella asked, watching him drink, cringing but growling like a panther.

"His body is hurting right now." Carlisle informed softly, "After denying it blood for so long, now that he's getting it, his body is adjusting itself, strengthening itself again. It's very uncomfortable for Edward right now. But he's okay. Just sit here with me until morning. Then it should be safe to release him. Alright?"

"Yes." She trembled a little, wishing she could help him.

"Can I help Alice ?" Bella asked, watching her feed Edward the third bottle now.

"NO" Edward, Alice and Carlisle all yelled at once.

"Shh, Edward," Alice put her hands over Edward's opened eyes, closing them again, "It's alright, she won't come close to you."

"Just sit here with me." Carlisle repeated, "This is not a good time to test the boundaries between human and vampire. Edward is strong but no vampire is THAT strong."

Bella shivered a little, thinking that Edward was so animal like during this. He hardly could speak. Maybe this is why he didn't want her hunting with him, as he once said but she hadn't understood. She did now.

The rest of the night went on that way – Alice rushing to refill bottle after bottle, each time Edward getting more demanding as she tried to keep up. Alice never got upset at Edward or even looked the least bit irritated. She soon became Bella's new hero.

Bella didn't realize it, but hours later, she'd fallen asleep on Carlisle's legs. When she began to awaken, she found Carlisle's jacket over her like a blanket. The sun wasn't shining, but it was morning.

She started to sit up, seeing Alice still feeding Edward a bottle, only now Edward was drinking it slowly, his head leaning back against the tree, eyes closed in peace. Bella grinned to Carlisle, silently thanking him for serving as her bed for the night.

"He's almost good as new." Alice smiled at Bella, then back to Edward.

The sucking noise against the empty bottom sounded again and this time Alice took the straw away, looking closely at Edward's face. His eyes stayed closed, his breathing was normal, no longer strained.

"Edward?" Alice tapped the side of his cheek softly.

His eyes fluttered open, a tired, sleepy look there staring back at her.

"More?" Alice asked loudly, almost slowly as if speaking to a mentally challenged person.

Bella looked at Carlisle, clearly bothered by this.

He explained, "Now that Edward is nearly back at full strength and is nearly full, he will be very tired for a few hours. His body has been working hard all night realigning itself. He's perfectly alright, though."

With hardly a movement, Edward nodded to Alice, his eyes almost crossed in their dreamlike state as his sister closed his eyes for him with her hand again.

"Okay one more should do it." She announced, "Then we can let him out of the chains and take him somewhere to get him cleaned up. Then we can go HOME!" she almost cheered that last part.

"Poor baby." Alice put the straw into Edward's mouth again, stroking his cheek, "He shouldn't have starved himself this way but he was trying so hard to stick to our way. He really is something."

"Yes he is." Bella said before Carlisle got to say it.

"How many did he drink?" Bella looked around on the grass, piles of empty plastic blood bags as far as her eyes could see.

"Don't ask." She replied, "Let's just say – a lot."

After a few minutes, Edward was finished with that bottle and Alice took it out of his mouth.

"And now we check with Edward." Alice said to Bella, smiling at Edward's dormant face, "He's so cute, isn't he? He looks asleep, doesn't he?"

Bella smiled, fully agreeing with her.

"Eddie." Alice held his face up with her one hand, making his lips smush together as if he was going to kiss someone.

"Alice." Carlisle frowned, "Don't humiliate him in front of Bella."

"I'm not." She defended herself, "She thinks he's cute."

"Just ask." Carlisle's eyes went firm.

"Killjoy." Alice grumbled, cooing, "Edward…do you want some more babycakes?"

"I'm sorry, I don't usually get to be so cute with Edward." Alice giggled, "I love babying him."

Carlisle grinned. He knew Alice and Edward's bond was strong but he also knew Edward would be mortified if she went too far with this in front of Bella.

"Edward, do you want more?" Alice saw Edward's eyes open lazily, trying to focus on her face.

"Still thirsty?" she asked again, holding a new bottle up to his mouth.

He almost sucked on the straw part but then choked and groaned, shaking his head in a no response.

"Okay, he's had enough. Good." Alice said, Bella finally let out a breath of relief.

"What now?" Bella asked.

"Now we can take those damned chains off him." Carlisle stood up, taking the chain cutters and snapping a couple links near Edward's ankles. Alice held Edward's body up as Carlisle cut the chains off.

Finally, Edward was free of the tree and Alice helped Carlisle carry his limp body over to Bella.

"Yes, it's okay." Carlisle answered Alice's silent question, laying Edward's head on Bella's lap. Right away Edward's arms curled around her legs, gently squeezing them to his cheek.

"He won't hurt you." Alice knew, smiling at Bella's happy face.

"Thank you both." Bella had tears in her eyes as Edward's sweet touch again. And he never cuddled on her lap, as if asleep before. She loved it.

"We'll get the car and bring it closer." Carlisle nudged Alice, saying "Pick up everything, don't leave anything behind."

"Okay."

Bella scratched her little fingernails up and down Edward's back. The leather jacket was off him now and only his torn up red t shirt remained.

"You're so sweet like this." Bella said in a low hushed voice as his closed eyes hypnotized her, "Now I see why you like watching me sleep."

She smelled the gasoline on him again and nearly sobbed. He almost got burned to death last night, she told herself. Because of her. Now she was getting a clue of what Edward went through, blaming himself for her injuries.

"What you go through for me." Bella's lip trembled, "Why? I'm just some little nobody. There's not one special thing about me…except you. And you look at me like…I'm some goddess or something. When are you gonna wake up and see me right?"

Carlisle walked back up towards the two of us and smirked, looking down at us.

Bella blinked, wiping her eyes as she turned away.

"Bella." Carlisle said carefully, "You ARE special."

Oh great, he heard what I said, Bella realized, super vampire hearing.

"A vampire sees lots of things most humans can't see." Carlisle informed gently, "We all see you right. That's why we all love you so much. Edward, most of all."

"Thanks Carlisle." Bella heard her voice break a little as she kept stroking Edward's hair, the wetness turning cold now.

"Here comes the car." Carlisle looked, seeing Alice driving his black vehicle closer.

"Allow me?" Carlisle reached down to scoop Edward up into his arms, as if he were light as a feather, "Go sit in the back seat and Edward can rest his head on your lap again until we get to the hotel."

"This boy needs a good bath." Alice announced.

"Yes, I don't want Esme seeing him like this." Carlisle laid Edward in the back seat, Bella let his head lay on her legs as Carlisle closed the door, getting in the front passenger side.

Bathtime next!

Yes, I had to put a nice bath in there, kill me. Edward deserves it, after all he's been through.

Love WinndSinger


	10. Chapter 10

After checking into the hotel, Carlisle came around to the car we three waited in, motioning us to a small cabin around the side. Alice drove up to where Carlisle was walking, he went to cabin 5.

"This is the first time I saw a Cullen check into a regular little hotel room." Bella said with a chuckle, feeling more at ease in a place like this than the Waldorf type places Edward always took her to.

"Well, we can't check into a glitzy place and carry Edward through the lobby covered in gasoline." Alice said while driving, "And we're not here for romance, not that YOU won't be having a little while you're here."

Bella smoothed Edward's damp hair, looking down at him with love filled eyes. He was still dormant, peaceful as he laid in her arms. She stroked her finger down his perfectly shaped nose then over the bumps of his upper lip, focusing back on Alice suddenly.

"What do you mean by THAT?" Bella's brow was furrowed in thought.

"I won't say another word, except that you will be the one giving Edward his much needed bath." Alice grinned coyly, giving her a peek over the shoulder, parking.

"No, Alice…" Bella heard herself say, "That's…Edward and I haven't…I don't want to see him while he's asleep and he hasn't let me…it's not right."

"He won't mind." Alice got out of the car, slamming her door, making Edward's eyes open briefly, blinking as Bella felt herself go rigidly tense, not wanting to disturb him.

Alice opened Bella's door as Edward's sleepy eyes stared up at the dark chocolate eyes he loved, he gave a wide smile, trying to lift a hand to her face but, it dropped back down almost right away and his eyes slowly fell closed again.

"You almost woke him up." Bella looked at Alice, whispering with a scowl on her lips.

"He's not really asleep, Bella." Alice bent over, looking at his face, "He's just…inactive right now. He'll be okay in a couple of hours."

Alice reached in and pulled Edward out by the arms. Bella almost went to help, forgetting the little pixie had super vampire strength, too. She lifted Edward out in a graceful swoop, cradling him like a baby to her chest as she walked into the cabin after Carlisle.

Bella followed, locking up the car and hurrying to get in with the rest of them. The room was nothing to write home about, but it was clean, had one queen sized bed in the center against the wall, and a small wooden table in the corner with a phone on top of it.

But the group had blown right past this part of the room and straight to the large bathroom, a florescent light humming over the medicine chest.

Carlisle had turned on the bathwater as Alice laid Edward carefully on the tile floor. Steam rose out of the water instantly and Bella stood in the doorway, not wanting to overstep. For some reason, she felt like an outsider looking in now.

"Um, Carlisle." Alice said, taking Edward's black leather boots off his feet, tossing them aside, "We're going to need new clothes for Edward. Why don't you go to that Target down the street and get some? You know what he likes."

"I thought you brought clothes for him." Carlisle looked at Alice with gentle eyes, watching her remove her brother's black socks, revealing perfect white feet. Bella stared at his little toes, smiling to herself. Was every inch of him perfect?

"No." Alice lied simply, not saying any more.

"Bella and I can take care of this." Alice gave Carlisle a look that Bella couldn't decipher, but suddenly something dawned on Carlisle.

"Oh I see." He smirked to himself, looking at Bella. She almost flinched as Carlisle's eyes met hers. He was amused and Bella could only guess what was going on in his head.

Bella tried to offer some kind of explanation but Carlisle was already standing up, stepping carefully over his son on the floor and Bella moved out of the way so he could leave the room.

Carlisle smiled at her affectionately and kept his eyes down, saying in a soft voice, "Be careful, Bella. It should be safe, though. He has no strength right now."

"What—I…." Bella stuttered, just letting Carlisle leave. He started the car and drove off outside.

"Alice!" Bella sneered, back in the bathroom, "That was HORRIBLE! You embarrassed me to DEATH!"

"Oh, stop, Carlisle is cool." Alice waved her hand, "I'll help you by stripping him and getting him into the tub, then it's all you after that. When you're done, I'll know about it and I'll come back to help you take him out and get him dressed."

"Alice, this doesn't feel right." Bella's voice cracked, stepping closer as Alice ripped the remainder of Edward's torn red t shirt down the middle and gently pulled it off his naked snowy chest.

"This feels like, we're taking advantage of a person who's passed out – like date rapists or something.", Bella voiced her fears.

"You're not going to have sex with him." Alice looked up at her, then placed a kiss on Edward's cheek, whispering, "Sorry.", then started to unbutton Edward's jeans, zipping the zipper down in one loud yank.

"You're just going to wash him." Alice shrugged, "Listen, you don't get this chance everyday. Edward is completely in your hands, asleep and you taking care of him in this state is nothing to be ashamed about. Be creative. You've been missing him for the last six weeks, surely you can enjoy some quiet time with him, right?"

Alice ripped the denim of the jeans at his waist, tearing them sideways and off so that soon, all that remained were the long denim legs. A pair of very snug black calvin klein bikini underwear stared up at them.

Bella turned her whole head away, make believing she was staring at the phone in the next room as Alice simply pulled the denim tubes from Edward's legs.

"I'm going to hell for this." Bella mumbled to herself.

"Well, then you'll really be with Edward forever then." Alice teased, knowing Edward's opinion of where all vampires would end up, no matter how good they behaved.

"Don't take anything else off him, please!" Bella turned back to Alice, "Leave those on, okay ?"

She was about to tear the little briefs off her brother but smiled up at Bella, saying, "You're so sweet, Bella. Okay, your loss."

"Okay," Alice turned and rolled the faucets, stopping the water. It was nearly to the top of the tub now, anyway.

"Bath time, Eddie." Alice picked the nearly nude Edward up into her arms again and tossed him in, a giant splash erupting as only Edward's legs dangled a bit out of the edge of the tub, his head under the water.

"ALICE !" Bella ran up, plunging her arms in, sleeves and all, pulling Edward up until his wet head was out of the water, resting against the tile wall, his feet now sinking under the bubbles.

"He can't DROWN, Bella." Alice teased, going to her bag, taking out assorted shampoos, bath oils and soaps, standing them on the floor near Bella. Then she took out a little ipod and player, setting these on the sink counter.

"What are you doing ?" Bella watched her take out two thick round candles, setting them on the counter, lighting them with a little bic lighter from her pocket.

"Just setting the right mood." She grinned.

"No wonder you didn't have room for Edward's clothes." Bella sat on the edge of the tub, looking at Edward's wet shiny lips. They looked so smooth she wanted to suck them up and swallow them.

"Bella?" Alice asked, "Hello, did you hear me ?"

"Huh?" Bella snapped back to her attention now.

"Get him nice and clean, have fun, and I'll be back when you need me." Alice turned off the lights and hit the ipod, a beautiful song began to play, piano and a deep woman's voice humming instantly set a mood in the room.

"Subtle, Alice." Bella almost laughed as the pixie closed the bathroom door, tiptoeing out.

The woman's voice sang with so much soul and pain in her voice, it made Bella hurt inside.

"Pride can stand a thousand trials  
The strong will never fall.  
But watching stars without you  
My soul cries"

The song began, making tears come to Bella's eyes, remembering these last six weeks without him. He looked like Romeo, laying there in the dim light, sleeping forever.

She listened, watching Edward's beautiful face in the flickers of the candle; his perfect black eyebrows coming to that razor sharp point on their end, drawing attention to those perfect eyes whose beauty was denied her now, hiding behind the luxurious full black eyelashes…so long…so beautiful.

The next words the singer sang , "My heaving heart is full of pain.  
Oooh, oooh, the aching…"

Unable to tear her eyes from the angel in the water, her hands acted on their own, taking the hem of her shirt into her hands, pulling her sweater off, letting it fall to the floor. She stood up, still hypnotized by her prince…unbuttoning her jeans and sliding them off, stepping out of the legs, removing her ankle socks.

Swallowing, she unhooked her white bra, slowly taking it off, staring at his mouth, knowing it would not say a word. No utterings of "Bella, we can't…Bella, don't…." would be spoken tonight. Alice was right, she had to have this.

"Cause I'm kissing you, oooh  
I'm kissing you, oooh ….

Touch me deep, pure and true  
Give to me forever  
'Cause I'm kissing you, oooh  
I'm kissing you, oooh" the heavenly pain filled voice sang on.

Deep, pure and true….Bella agreed with that…that's how she would touch him now. She kept her white panties on and slowly stepped her foot into the tub, moaning at the intense heat, stepping her other foot in, standing right between Edward's open legs.

Kneeling down, as one would in front of any god like creature, Bella felt her lips smile, liking this too much, letting her breasts gently touch his chest as she leaned in more, she nearly gasped from the feeling of it, tears coming to her eyes.

Laying her head on his wet chest, she closed her eyes, a single tear falling quickly down her face as she whispered, "You'll never know how much I missed you…"

She made herself turn her face upwards, seeing his chiseled chin there. Smiling now, she reached her lips up and kissed that spot under it, moving her body up more, pressing her chest to his and licking her tongue up that cute little dent on his chin, closing her eyes and then closing her lips fully and wetly over the cleft, her throat moaning.

Her mouth continued up to his wet glossy lips, sucking them into her wide open kiss, sucking the water off as she clenched her eyes tighter, enjoying this even though his lips were still and silent.

"MMMMM" Bella whimpered, feeling her body reacting to him, like it always did. She was glad they both still had their underwear on. So much for pure touching…

"Where are you now  
Where are you now  
'Cause I'm kissing you  
I'm kissing you, oooh" the woman was nearly crying in her voice as she sang.

"I love you Edward…" she whispered, "All the days of my life I'll love you…"

He didn't answer, he was her still life Adonis, completely helpless in her hands.

She placed soft deep wet kisses all over his face, along his jaw…on each sweet eyelid, down his masculine nose….she curled her arm under the back of his neck, lifting his face up a bit. His head leaned back slightly, giving her a chance to place a long wet kiss on his adam's apple…she could eat him up right now but made herself turn more gentle, as he always was with her.

His sleeping figure made her feel more protective of him and she reached out of the tub, choosing a little shampoo bottle, uncapping it and smelling it, as the candlelight didn't allow her to read the label too well. It smelled like the ocean. Smiling, she chose this one, pouring it all into her hand, rubbing them together and smiling more as she realized she was about to shampoo his hair for the first time. She's always wanted to do this, but Edward never thought he could take it.

This was like a beautiful, wondrous dream…Bella was afraid any minute now she'd awaken, alone in Edward's room, without him, Emmett there telling her to calm down as she cried. I can never go there again, she told herself…I can never lose him again. I WILL NEVER lose him again.

Her fingernails sunk into his gasoline scented hair, brining the white suds with them, lightly scratching along his scalp as she mewed in pleasure, washing the sides then traveling up to the top, taking her time, slowly massaging and curling her fingers through his inhumanely perfect locks.

"I love this…" she said aloud, "Hope you're liking it…"

Giggling, she remembered something from when she was little and her mother used to do when she took a bath.

She took some of the suds and made a little Santa Claus beard on Edward's chin, suddenly she was five years old again, playing.

"You're a sexy Santa…" she giggled, then washed it off, knowing Edward would raise a brow at this, silently scolding her.

"Rinsing time…" she stood and gave Edward's ankles a tug, pulling his head gently under the water, hurrying to run her fingers through his hair, releasing the shampoo. She acted as if he'd drown if she kept him too long under, always forgetting his super abilities. He was breathing under the water, little bubbles dancing out of his nose.

She pulled him back up, making sure his face was above water. Cradling his face in her hands, she slowly moved it to the right, enjoying the movements as his lips nearly rested on her thumb. His wet dark hair was mostly waved back, a few strands went down the center of his forehead. He was too flawless that her eyes were almost drunk with him.

"So beautiful…" she breathed. This is mine ? It was too amazing to be true.

"This gift is mine…forever…." The woman's voice sang with heartbreaking timing.

She took a washcloth, wetting it, soaping it up with the liquid and carefully moved it along his cheekbone, not daring to breathe as she washed the valleys and peaks of his luscious face. She lived here, this was her home. Her bedroom was his golden eyes, her living room was his mouth…his cheeks were her land, his smile her horizon.

"Love you…" she could hardly speak, then realized she didn't have to. The silence was perfect. As if they were Adam and Eve, not needing clumsy words to express their love.

She was kissing the water off his mouth again, loving the taste of him, taking her soapy hands and moving them down his neck, massaging huge circles down his chest, kissing every inch after it was washed.

She moved her legs so she was sitting on Edward's waist now, her legs bent on each side of his body, washing the soap over his toned arms, lacing her fingers into his, kissing the dirty knuckles then soaped them over too, creating a clean snowy slate on his skin. Smiling, she even cleaned his fingernails.

"Must've been a good fight, Edward." She said in a proud voice. He was such a survivor, she loved that about him. He never gave up, no matter how hopeless it looked. He had saved that Megan Alice told her about, even though it must've been impossible to turn her ready blood down, he did it. He was so much stronger than he gave himself credit for.

Using a bath sponge, she took care of washing his legs, sweet little feet, happily taking a moment to play with his toes. Alice was right, this was a once in a lifetime opportunity and she was having the time of her life.

She never thought of intruding on Edward's privacy by peeking under the bikini briefs he wore. She knew that wasn't right. When it was meant for her to see him in all his glory, she wanted him awake, fully aware that he was sharing himself with her. It would be wonderful…someday. After the seven months without him and now these last few weeks, she would wait forever if she had to. As long as he was with her, that's all she wanted…needed.

The water was beginning to get cold, Bella noticed, and smiled at the gorgeous clean face of her sleeping vampire, giving the damp lips another huge wet kiss before reaching over and pulling the stopper out of the drain, letting the water go.

Bella stood up, grabbing a towel for herself and quickly drying off outside the tub. She hurriedly put her clothes back on, discarding the wet panties she wore.

"I'm ready, Alice." Bella said in a regular but saddened voice as Edward laid there in the tub, the water nearly all gone. He did look very hot with the wet black bikini undies on, Bella observed with a grin.

"I am ready, Edward." Bella stated, looking at his closed eyes. She truly knew that she wanted to be with him for all eternity. She would not beg, though. It will happen, she told herself. I know it will.

Hope everyone liked !! I know I did, just thinking about it….LOL

See last chapter next.


	11. Chapter 11

Bella held the warm towels, prepared to work once Alice laid a wet Edward on the large bed. Instantly, she knelt on the bed at Edward's side, handing a towel to Alice as she began at his wet hair, putting a towel over it and using her fingernails, began to towel dry that beautiful hair, hiding Edward's face for a couple minutes.

Alice got to work on his arms, moving across his chest, drying down to his belly button.

"Close your eyes, Bella." Alice warned, Bella doing as she said, hearing the wet bikinis tearing off Edward's body.

"Sorry, Bella, he can't wear wet underwear." Alice shrugged, not bothered by Edward's nudity at all, "It's really a shame you can't look, he really is perfect all over."

"Alright, hurry up, ALICE!" Bella clenched her eyes closed tighter, drying Edward's head harder as Alice slipped a dry pair of white briefs onto Edward.

"When Edward wants me to see him, I will." Bella took the towel off Edward's hair now, wondering if it would look all crazy now. It was a bit messy, but in a sexy way. Alice opened the target bags Carlisle brought and found a white t shirt and a pair of light blue jeans, along with a fleece jacket.

"Boring." Alice almost yawned, letting Bella help get Edward's head through the hole in the shirt, then each taking an arm and guiding it through the sleeves. Bella liked moving the shirt down his torso. The jeans were more difficult. It certainly isn't easy dressing a man who's not awake in a snug pair of jeans.

Bella and Alice were laughing half the time, saying, "If Edward could see us now, he'd just die…"

But, finally, Edward was dressed, complete with a new pair of sneakers. Alice turned on a blow dryer, making Bella prop him upright with her arms so she could do his hair the way he liked it.

"Not one hair out of place." Alice finished, smirking at her good work.

"You are Vidal Sasson." Bella complimented, Carlisle still waiting.

"I know you two are having a rich time, playing with Edward." Carlisle teased, "But I would like to bring him home to his mother, if that's alright."

"When will he wake up?" Bella asked, hating the wait.

"How about now?" Edward mumbled, smiling up at her on his right hand side.

Bella almost screamed at the shock of it all of a sudden. Edward laughed as Bella looked down at him and felt tears come to her eyes. His eyes were open, and sparkling more golden than ever.

"How are you?" Bella asked, shivering, "Do you feel alright?"

"I'm fine." He sat up, getting help from both girls at his sides, "Look at this, I have TWO slaves."

"You wish." Alice flicked him in the head.

"One slave." Bella agreed, leaning in and placing a gentle kiss against his soft lips. In seconds, the kiss was red hot, their tongues tasting each other hungrily.

"Jeez, guys, get a room !" Alice got off the bed, waving a hand over her face.

Carlisle cleared his throat after a couple minutes. Both Bella and Edward noticed the others in the room and she turned beet red.

"Sorry." They both said at the same time, reluctantly moving themselves from the bed.

"You have the rest of your lives for that." Carlisle smiled warmly at them as they got in the back seat together.

"Hey I smell so nice." Edward noticed as he sat next to Bella in the car.

"Bella gave you a nice bubble bath." Alice smiled back at him.

"Oh really?" he raised a brow at her bright red cheeks.

"I just washed you, and you had your underwear on the whole time, I swear !" she quickly defended herself, "I wouldn't do that to you, I told ---"

"Shhhh, calm down, I'm kidding." Edward held her hand, kissing it, "I trust you, Bella. I'm sure you took wonderful care of me. Better than I deserve."

Bella relaxed and took a breath.

"Edward, you were so cute while you were out." Alice informed him, "You cuddled with Bella the whole time. She was loving it, you should've seen her face."

Carlisle was driving, grinning as he peeked in the rear view mirror, seeing Edward smiling at his girl. It was so good to see Edward this way, finally, after all the decades he spent alone in an irritated state. Now he seemed so free and happy…alive when she was around. This is why Carlisle considered Bella his daughter.

"You have a big mouth, Alice." Bella grinned a little, the angel staring at her closely now.

"You look sad." Edward noticed her eyes, then smiled, moving her over to the other side of the car, laying himself down, his head resting on her lap, those heavenly eyes gazing up at hers, "How's this ?"

Bella did light up inside at this, and Edward laughed out loud, liking it.

"You are so exquisite." Edward beamed from ear to ear, laying there, "I feel like I'm looking up at heaven."

"Oh corny." Alice chuckled, turning on the radio as they drove…towards home.

"Shut up, Alice." Bella and Edward said at the same time, laughing.

Carlisle switched the radio station, saying, "No rap, please. I've had a rough night."

"Well, don't play that classical crap, then I'LL fall asleep." Alice whined.

"I feel I should get first pick of songs." Edward commented, "I nearly died."

"No way !" Alice argued, "I fed you all night long, I get first pick."

Carlisle wanted to complain with the noise going on all around him but couldn't. He was so thankful that his family was all going to be back together soon and that they were all his.

Whoever is up there, thank you, Carlisle said silently in his heart, thank you for everything.

THE END.

Thanks to all of you for your great reviews!

If you want to - check out my new story, Switch, it's a funny one.


	12. Chapter 12

Merry Christmas Moviehouse !!

( I always say that around Christmas, because I love that line from It's a Wonderful Life)

Anyway, I got a review asking me to do a reunion scene to end Prisons and I realize she is, as always, right. I dedicate this to you, DazzledbyEdward, thanks for all your support as I write these stories. I luv ya !

LAST SCENE – Telemarketer

Esme paced again, her hands trembling. She was trying so hard to be patient and strong for Rosalie and Jasper, who were sitting at the dining room table, staring sadly at their mother. She looked so lost, staring out the window in vein, seeing no one coming.

The whole six weeks Edward was gone was horrible, the family seemed to fall apart at the seams, and then Carlisle didn't come back, vowing to free his son by pleading to the Volturi.

Then, three days ago, Alice had the vision. The image came of Edward, Emmett and a blonde girl being burned alive by Victoria and some newborn vampires. They had called Carlisle to help, and then the next morning there was a note that Emmett, Alice, and Bella had gone to try and save Edward too. Since then, she had not heard one single word…from anyone.

_**They could all be dead now.**_

That's the only thought that kept repeating itself in her head over and over. She was losing her mind, she felt it, clutching her long reddish hair, jerking it back into a ponytail as she surveyed the grounds out the front window again. Nothing.

The thought was too unbearable. Never seeing her husband again, the father of this noble family he had created and taught tirelessly. Her first eternal son, Edward, his beautiful eyes that made her love him the second she met him…he was just beginning to learn the powers of love. God would be proven cruel if he made Edward pay for that lesson with his life, just as he was beginning to blossom. Alice and Emmett were her babies, always bringing joy and a smile to her face. And Bella…her newest daughter, who gave Edward's heart a song to sing…finally.

"I can't live without them," Esme muttered under her breath, but the two at the table heard her flawlessly, "If anything has happened to them, I can't go on…"

Jasper got to his feet, going to her, holding her close in his arms as he tried to calm her with his power, whispering, "They will come home. They will."

"I ---" Esme began to speak but the house phone rang loudly, interrupting their moment.

"Let it ring." Jasper was about to say but Esme was going crazy for news, she jumped on it, not even letting the caller ID register first.

"HELLO?" she shouted with a glimmer of hope into the phone.

A man's voice cleared his throat and a young southern accent came through the line.

"Uh, Good Mornin'" the voice was young sounding, almost like Elvis' voice, like a bad Elvis impersonator.

"Is this an Esmie Culien?" the southern voice asked, mispronouncing her name terribly. _**TELEMARKETERS**_.

Usually, Esme was kind to them and when she was bored, she'd let them go on and on about their wonderful offers. Edward would always grumble, "Just hang up, Mom." But he said she was too nice for her own good.

"This is not a good time, I'm sorry." She almost cried, her hopes dashed as she hung up.

"Telemarketer." She sighed, rubbing her temples hard.

The phone rang again, just once, and she grabbed it up again.

"Hello?"

"Excuse me, Ma'am," the southern voice was there again, "It seems we got cut off. I'm callin' today to tell you about the wonderful family package we got goin' on here at our little ol' cable company."

Little ol' cable company ? This boy was nuts. You could almost picture the kid in his straw hat and overalls with a piece of hay sticking out of his mouth, sitting on a tractor as he spoke.

This call is already taking too long, what if Carlisle was trying to call in , Esme told herself.

"I'm so sorry, I can't tie up this line, I have an emergency going on here." Esme explained as gently as she could, hanging up again.

"I thought the Volturi were relentless." Jasper commented, "They've got nothing on these telemarketer people."

A moment later, the phone rang a third time.

"Let me deal with it." Jasper went to grab it but Esme held up a hand, saying, "Now, it's personal."

She snatched the receiver up and made her voice like ice.

"What do you WANT?" she sneered into the receiver.

"I want YOU to save 45% on this wonderful family package we're prepared to offer you, today." The same kid's hillbilly accent was on the line.

She took a hard breath and her voice shook as she said, "Listen, kid, I have explained to you I'm going through HELL and I don't GIVE A DAMN about your FRIGGIN FAMILY PACKAGE from your LITTLE OLE CABLE COMPANY !! I am going to hang up now and when I DO, I would kindly like you to DROP DEAD !"

She waited a moment, wanting to confirm that this guy got the message before she slammed the phone down in his ear, but he persisted.

"Please, Ma'am, don't hang up, please?" the voice twanged even more, "I want you to hear our offer in person, okay ? Just go open your front door."

"What ?" she frowned, looking up into Rosalie's angry looking face.

"Go to your front door. My associates are waitin' to show you the family package. I think you won't be able to turn it down." He said, waiting.

"Oh, this is it !" Esme was furious now and ran to the front door, whipping it open and prepared to destroy every human on her stoop.

Before she got there, she was screaming, "GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE !"

Then when she stepped out the door, she saw a young boy leaning against the side of the house near the door, smiling at her, taking his cell phone away from his ear, clicking it closed. His skin was snow white, eyes blazing gold like the sun, hair perfectly sculpted in a bronze-red upwards swoop, a single thin piece hanging right in the center of his forehead. And at first his face looked nervous at the screaming mess of a woman who ran out to him. In seconds, those eyes twinkled and the smile grew into its fullness, melting her heart as it always did.

"I dropped dead a long time ago…but don't you want the family package?" Edward raised a brow, his arms folded casually as Esme's mouth fell open.

She couldn't speak, but she let out a SCREAM that would've knocked over all the trees around the house, throwing her arms around Edward, so tight, almost crushing him into her arms as she sobbed tearlessly, not about to let go for a long time.

"Ohhhh." Edward closed his eyes, knowing the pain she'd been going through. He hugged her even tighter to him, hiding his face in her thick sweet hair.

"I'm here." Edward said in a quiet voice as she cried, "I'm so sorry, Mom. Don't cry."

She could hardly speak right but Edward didn't care, he placed a deep kiss on her forehead, then one on each cheek, closing his eyes with emotion as he did it. He loved his mother and wished the love he felt could wipe away her pain. Jasper and Rosalie stood in the doorway, smiling, stepping out as Edward tried to lighten the mood.

"So, do you want the WHOLE FAMILY PACKAGE?" Edward did his southern accent again, grinning at Esme.

Esme's eyes lit up more, afraid to hope, but she made her little weak voice answer, "Yes."

"I didn't HEAR YOU !!" Edward held a hand up to his ear.

"YES !!" Esme, Rosalie and Jasper all shouted louder.

"ARE YOU SURE ?!" Edward used his Elvis voice, looking at Esme, "They're loud. They're HUGE. They're weird. They're clumsy. They're waiting to make their appearance. You sure you want all this mess in your beautiful house?"

"I'm so sure." Esme sobbed with a huge smile on her lips.

"Alright, Ma'am, I give to you….the FULL FAMILY PACKAGE !" Edward kept his Elvis voice loud, shouting, "GIVE HER THE FAMILY PACKAGE, PEOPLE !!"

Carlisle lead the way, coming up from behind Esme, grabbing her up off her feet as Alice and Emmett jumped out in front of her, like pouncing cats. Bella came jogging up behind them, smiling and hanging back a little, letting the family all hug each other in one huge ball. She didn't want to intrude on their family moment. Besides, it was all her fault they nearly all lost each other anyway. What if they told her to leave them alone from now on?

"Girl, get in here," Edward used his southern accent again, waving Bella over towards the huddle, "You're in this family, too, like it or not."

"Absolutely." Esme said loudly, opening her arms, everyone letting a red faced Bella in the center of the mix, Esme's arms lovingly wrapped themselves around her new little girl. Emmett hugged up against Bella, too, getting a slap from Edward.

"I love the family package." Esme laughed, feeling them all around her, hardly anyone spoke at all…for a moment and it was just perfect…for a moment.

"Ow, Edward, you stepped on my new shoe !" Rosalie shoved him off her in annoyance, looking down at it, "Look, you scuffed it all up with your muddy boot !"

"It's not my fault you have GIANT feet." Edward shoved her back, making Carlisle frown, rolling his eyes.

"Let's go inside everyone, I don't want the neighbors to see this." Esme held the few of her family still attached to her and shuffled them into the house.

"Who spends $600 on one pair of shoes, anyway?!" Edward shouted at Rosalie, "It's disgusting, you could give that money to a charity."

"What have YOU done lately to help anyone?" Rosalie snapped back, "You just spent $2,000 on a BOOK last month !"

"That's a piece of literature, a first edition !!" Edward shrieked, "It's not the same thing!"

Carlisle looked into Esme's eyes, finally in her arms at last, sighing, "Ah, the loving sounds of family…"

"What the hell happened to my ROOM ?!" Edward was yelling in the background, Emmett shouting something back about Bella going crazy in there.

"I did not!", Bella defended herself, "He locked me in !"

"I know." Esme smiled up at the man she loved, "It's beautiful, isn't it ?"

THE END.

I hope everyone likes that ending better, I had fun writing that.

Merry Christmas, Moviehouse !! Have a great Twilighting New Year.

OH P.S. Rob Pattinson buzz cutted all his lovely hair off. I wish I could've been there to save a lock for myself. SIGH. I think it looks good, though, kinda Gerard Butler style. As long as he grows it back by March of 2009, I have no problem with it.

And New Moon is supposed to be ready in theatres in Nov. 2009. I can't wait. Oh how am I going to sit through the huge chunk of the movie when Edward's not there? I don't know. I do know when they finally show Edward in Italy about to step into the sun, I will be jumping out of my chair screaming, "YES ! There he is !!" Just like I did while reading the book.

Have a great holiday, everyone !! Especially EDWARD !


End file.
